Prof Francois Malan has been appointed as the new Head of the University of Pretoria’s Department of Mining Engineering. He is an internationally renowned specialist in the field of rock engineering, who has delivered many noteworthy contributions to the professional community.

Prof Malan started his geotechnical career in 1993 at the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation (CSIR Miningtek), where he conducted research on rock mass behaviour in deep tabular mines. In 2011, he joined the gold mining industry and was appointed as Senior Consultant: Rock Engineering at Gold Fields South Africa/Sibanye Gold from 2011 to 2017.

He joined the University of Pretoria in 2018 as an Associate Professor, and served as the Department’s Research Lead. Over the years, he received various awards for his contributions to rock engineering. These include five gold and silver medals from the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) and three Salamon awards from the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering (SANIRE) for best publications. The International Society of Rock Mechanics (ISRM) awarded him the prestigious Rocha medal in 2001.

He acts as a reviewer for several rock engineering journals and is a member of the Publications Committee of the Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. In 2023, he was instrumental in the publication of a special edition of the Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, which focused on hard rock pillar research in South Africa. He was co-author of seven papers in this issue of the journal.

His areas of expertise include numerical modelling, pillar behaviour, geomechanical instrumentation and layout design. His present research interests include the inelastic numerical modelling of tabular excavations, and simulating pillar behaviour and pillar strength.

The Department looks forward to the leadership and continued credibility that his appointment will bring to the University’s recognition as a leader in mining engineering in South Africa.