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MINERALS INDUSTRY EDUCATION AND TRAINING II

Keywords

Master of Philosophy, sustainable mineral resource development, strategic
social engagement, environmental stewardship, research communication
& methodology.

Introduction

Minerals and metals are essential for modern life and their reliable and
responsible supply is critical to maintain and develop a sustainable world.
However, their extraction and beneficiation has significant negative
environmental impacts such as the contamination of water, air and land
resources with toxic by-products from their processing (WRI, 2014). These
impacts not only affect local communities, but also pose a management
and economic challenge to mining companies and regulatory agencies
(WRI, 2014). There is growing pressure from governments and local
communities for the mining industry to improve on its environmental
and social performance by adopting sustainability principles in minerals
and metals production (WEF, 2014). The so called ‘licence to operate’ of
many mining companies is under threat, as they struggle to operate in fast
changing environment of increased government environmental regulation
and an increased demand for greater stakeholder engagement in decision
making (Citufani, 2013; KIN, 2014; Lane and Ndlovu, 2012) . The work that
lies ahead requires many knowledgeable individuals capable of working in
increasingly complex environments (Veiga and Tucker, 2014).
As highlighted by Broadhurst et al. (2016), a sustained programme of
research and human capacity development in the context of the extraction
and processing of mineral resources in Africa is critical in ensuring that
the mining sector continues to thrive and contribute to socio-economic
development in a manner consistent with sustainability principles. A
master’s degree in an aspect of sustainable development, completed in
a multi-disciplinary class, is fast becoming the standard entry point for
employment in this dynamic and richly challenging field. To this end, a
new post-graduate degree programme, Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Innovative Practice in Mineral
198 Section 5
Processing Education