Institute to expand focus of new engineering education strategies
The University of Queensland is expanding the scope of its Sir James Foots Institute of Mineral Resources to change the face of mining and minerals education teaching and research for the 21st century.
The Institute has appointed its first full-time director, Professor Don McKee, formerly director of the University's Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC).
Professor McKee said the Sir James Foots Institute would investigate potential education networks for the mineral industry. These could include undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education topics for the Australian and international markets.
"We see ourselves working with the University's School of Engineering to help develop a new style of engineering course at the University of Queensland," he said.
"There will be a different style of engineering graduate in the future receiving lifelong learning using new materials in new delivery modes.
"It seems to me that no area of engineering at the University is better placed to embrace that culture change and develop it than the mining and minerals area. We have a strong industry behind us and it will support initiatives in teaching and research, provided we offer them clear outcomes and deliverables."
Professor McKee said the University had recently re-launched the Sir James Foots Institute to develop and co-ordinate University initiatives with government and the mining industry.
He said the Institute had a role in helping to devise and broker a range of initiatives for use by relevant University departments and centres.
"The initiatives could be new chairs to meet industry or government needs, research for industry, or new suites of courses in the mining and minerals engineering field," he said.
"Although the Institute itself was re-launched after negotiations were largely finalised for the recently-announced MIM chair of minerals engineering at the University, this will be one type of activity the Institute will foster."
The Institute would also be responsible for a new suite of flexible masters programs in mining/mineral processing and geomechanics. The postgraduate programs were developed by Dr Geoff Just in his previous capacity as education manager of the Co-operative Research Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment.
The Institute would co-ordinate the diverse mining industry-related activities of the university in departments and centres such as Departments of Earth Sciences and Mining, Minerals and Materials Engineering, and the JKMRC, the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation and the WH Bryan Mining Geology Research Centre. It would also link associated activities in University departments such as Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Chemistry.
Professor McKee said mining geology was an area of great scope and potential within the University, and the Institute would work with the WH Bryan Centre to develop its research activities.
Professor McKee, who graduated bachelor of engineering from the University of Queensland in 1968, was awarded a PhD in 1972 for a study of process control applied to flotation, conducted at the JKMRC.
He worked in process control engineering in industry for Mount Isa Mines, Amax Inc in Colorado, and Woodlawn Mines near Goulburn.
Professor McKee joined the JKMRC in 1981 to run the Centre's mineral processing research program. In 1985 he established JKTech, the Centre's commercial division. He became acting director of the JKMRC in 1989, and was appointed director in 1990, succeeding founder Professor Alban J. Lynch.
JKMRC has more than doubled in size in the past 10 years. Its complement of 120 includes 50 graduate students, and in 1996 it earned revenues totalling $8.2 million ? $5.8m for research and $2.4 million in consulting and software sales.
Professor McKee said JKMRC was a University model "years ahead of its time" as a self-funded research and postgraduate centre working on industry-funded projects to achieve outcomes of real benefit to industry clients.
"The Co-operative Research Centre system largely resembles this visionary type of concept," he said.
For further information, contact Professor McKee, telephone 07 3365 4059.
18/04/97
