South Africa's rich mineral wealth means that mining is still one of the country’s dominant economic activities.  While diamond and gold production may be well down from their peak production years, the country remains a cornucopia of mineral resources.

Against this backdrop the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation launched the Centre of Excellence  for Integrated Minerals and Energy Resource Analysis at the University of Johannesburg today (24 April 2014).

This is the fifth new DST-NRF CoE launched by this year.  The other four are for

(i) Food Security,

(ii) Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy,

(iii) Mathematical and Statistical Sciences,

(iv) Human Development.  There are now 14 DST-NRF CoEs.

CIMERA, which is co-hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, is the first CoE to be hosted by the University of Johannesburg.

Dr Albert van Jaarsveld CEO of the NRF said: “The launch of this centre, as with the previous ones, highlights an important features of the centres of excellence programme, which is its responsiveness to the needs of the country, its people and ultimately humanity. As the managing agency of the Centres of Excellence Programme we would like to congratulate the University of Johannesburg and we look forward to seeing the work that will emerge from this important centre.

CIMERA’s research focus is especially relevant to South Africa because it will assimilate an integrated understanding of the nature of some of the country’s major and minor mineral and fossil energy resources and their geometallurgical characteristics.  This will ensure the sustainable extraction of resources, while preventing and mitigating negative environmental effects.  The emphasis is on integrating cutting-edge academic research with strategic applications in wealth generation and human resource development – not only in South Africa, but also the rest of Africa.

The main focus of CIMERA is to train skilled economic geologists through postgraduate research studies on mineral and energy resources, with a particular, although not exclusive, focus on Africa.

CIMERA is built on the foundation of two world-class economic geology research units in South Africa, namely the Palaeoproterozoic Mineralization Centre at UJ and the Economic Geology Research Institute at Wits.

Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Advocate Michael Masutha, said: “The CoE will not only help expand research and training of high-quality economic geologists, but will also serve to expand collaboration with private mining and energy companies in South Africa.  This is clear when you consider the good response from the mining and energy companies that we have invited to witness this day with us.”

Deputy Minister Masutha challenged the new centre of excellence to work hard to build a representative cohort of South African researchers.  “I challenge CIMERA to lead by example in this regard.  This is particularly important because the mining industry has for so long been seen as an industry that exploits black workers.  In fact, most of the backbreaking jobs on the mines are still done by black men, and most of the mid and top-level jobs are held by white men.  Encouraging black people and women to enter research careers in this area would be a good start towards a more equitable situation.”