Mining Resilience Research Centre (MRRC)

The Mining Resilience Research Centre (MRRC) was established in the Department of Mining Engineering in 2016 to develop significant interdisciplinary research collaboration within UP and external organisations involved in research related to mining challenges. This is in an effort to ensure that the mining industry meets the full expectations of investors, government, employees, organised labour, communities and other stakeholders in the mining industry, particularly within the context of the role played by the industry as a source of economic growth and social transformation.

The MRRC draws on the multidisciplinary resources within the University, matching the right skills sets to any mining problem. It also aims to strengthen the Department’s mining footprint, as well as the University’s national and international minerals research profile.

Its vision is to establish itself as a leading international contributor to solutions for complex problems in the mining industry.

Its mission is to increase the resilience of the mining industry by developing solutions that can be practically implemented so as to enable the mining industry to transition from being reactive and compliant, to becoming resilient in issues relating to productivity, safety, health, environment, social responsibility and community management, through well-structured and committed postgraduate education and rigorous, integrated, scientific research initiatives.

The following strategic goals structure its long-term trajectory:

  • Be a leading, research-intensive centre
  • Conduct relevant research, through the employment of a sound science and technology approach to generating solutions, continuously improving quality
  • Strengthen the centre’s national and international profile through the establishment of sound, sustain

Management and collaborative structure

The MRRC is located within the Department of Mining Engineering, with Prof Francois Malan as Director. It makes use of the expertise located within the Department, within other departments in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, within the Minerals Cluster departments (Ming Engineering, Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, and Geology) and within departments in the University’s other nine faculties.

The Department’s in-house research expertise comprises the following:

It also benefits from the research expertise located in the Harmony Chair in Rock Engineering and Numerical Modelling, the AEL Intelligent Blasting Chair in Innovative Rock-breaking Technology and the Murray & Roberts Chair in Industry Leadership 4.0.

Within the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, it is able to utilise the expertise of researchers in the departments of the following schools (as well as their associated institutes, research chairs and research centres):

 

The Minerals Cluster departments include the following:

Within the rest of the University, it benefits from the expertise of researchers in the departments of the following faculties (as well as their associated institutes, research chairs and research centres):

It also has a network of external associates and collaborators in industry, at other universities both locally and internationally, science councils, consulting firms, technology companies, mining service providers, professional associations and government institutions).

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