Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) used the 24th Africa Down Under conference to build relationships with technology companies and mining education institutions as it seeks to ensure its training programmes keep pace with rapid technological changes transforming the global mining industry, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe following his engagements at the Perth conference, ZSM Principal Edwin Gwaze said the institution had specifically targeted companies and organisations that could contribute to the modernisation of its curriculum and training programmes.
“I came here obviously expecting to engage with technology companies,” Gwaze said. “This is very critical in also assisting in developing the curriculum of the Zimbabwe School of Mines so that we continue to produce graduates that are technologically savvy and graduates that know how to manipulate the current technologies.”
Technology and Training Opportunities
Gwaze said his engagements covered several areas relevant to modern mining, including drilling technology, analytical laboratories and emerging developments in gold processing.
The discussions formed part of ZSM’s efforts to expose its training programmes to the technologies increasingly being adopted across the global mining industry.
As mining operations become more reliant on automation, digital systems, advanced exploration techniques and modern processing technologies, training institutions face growing pressure to ensure graduates possess skills that meet the changing requirements of industry.
For ZSM, engagement with technology companies provides an opportunity to understand these developments and explore how they can be incorporated into the institution’s curriculum and practical training.
Engagement With Curtin University
Among the institutions Gwaze engaged with during Africa Down Under was Curtin University, one of Australia’s prominent institutions in mining education and research.
Gwaze said discussions with the university would continue beyond the conference as ZSM explores opportunities for future engagement.
“I’ve also had an opportunity to interact with Curtin University, and the engagements are still going to continue,” he said.
The discussions could potentially support knowledge sharing and collaboration as ZSM continues to strengthen its capacity to train professionals for Zimbabwe’s evolving mining industry.
Building on the Perth Engagements
While Africa Down Under provided the platform for the initial discussions, Gwaze said ZSM’s focus would now be on developing the relationships established during the conference.
“Going forward, we took quite a number of initiatives that we are still going to develop and also engage with those companies further to further enhance the Zimbabwe School of Mines training programmes,” he said.
The Perth engagements underline ZSM’s growing focus on ensuring that mining education keeps pace with technological developments across the industry.
For the institution, the real value of Africa Down Under will now lie in translating the contacts and discussions initiated in Perth into practical collaborations that strengthen training programmes and help prepare Zimbabwe’s next generation of mining professionals for an increasingly technology-driven industry.
