Student Chapter: Mining Forum

The UJ Mining forum has been active since before 2004. The UJ Mining Forum is a student managed student structure aimed at encouraging learner academic excellence, social stability as well as sporting activities. The forum encourages participation by students in any mining industry related study direction including Mining Engineering, Mine Surveying and metallurgy. Students in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with a connection to mining activities are also welcome. The mining forum aspires to be an effective voice for the needs, aspirations, and views of their members, by keeping its members informed of industry developments and the provision of support and mentorship. The Mining Forum promotes and maintains a working relationship with industry and other academic institutions.

Mining forum activities include:

Lend a hand campaign:

The Mining Forum adopted Ethembeni Childrens Home in Hillbrow and have managed to raise funds to buy baby essentials for the home and delivered by the committee to the home.

Mentor – Mentee program:

The Mining forum encourages and facilitates the pairing of final year BTech mining and survey students with first year students for mentor mentee relationships and ensured that these strived throughout the year and were beneficial to both parties.

Mining Professionals day:

Key note speakers from industry are invited annually for an interactive sessions with students. Current industry and motivational topics are discussed with the students by the prominent professionals.

Mine Health and Safety Day:

This day is usually the most energy filled and exciting event of the year, mining students and staff members dress up in their mining personal protective equipment and participate in safety activities on campus. Formal proceedings with guest speakers and representatives from industry and the Department of Mineral Resources discuss issues around safety within the mining industry.

Student chapter: Women in Mining

Women in mining (WIMUJ) is a constituency of female students in mining related courses namely: Mining Engineering, Mineral Surveying and Metallurgy. The structure was founded in 2011 with the aim to bridge the gap between the female students and the industry by providing a platform for interaction with female industry pioneers through mentorship and networking opportunities. The structure aims at forming a connection among females from all Mining institutions (UJ, Wits, UJ and UNISA) as we believe this bond will benefit all parties greatly as they enter the industry.

The objectives and powers of WIMUJ are:

• To stimulate and facilitate female growth in the industry;
• To enhance female enthusiasm and understanding in mining technologies and sector;
• Expose females to mines operational flow whilst preparing them for transitioning proficiently in the later stage;
• Build a culture of unity among students that will transcend into the industry;
• Connect all students from mining institutions via Women in Mining workshops;
• Facilitate engagement of successful female mining engineering personnel with students through networking events
• Raise awareness on all common challenges faced by females throughout the industry and coming together for possible solutions;
• Prepare students for the transition from academic to workplace professional life;
• To assist in find placement of students in vocational work, practical and graduate training by establishing a network of women in the industry in leadership positions and attracting partnerships and sponsorship through our formalized organizations.

Health and Wellbeing Activities

This used to be called the “stairs project”, facilitated by lecturers in the Department, during lockdown this activity has gone into hibernation but is being revived now. Students, on a voluntary basis participate in a daily physical activity such as completing three sets of 7 flights of stairs before lectures begins. Other activities include cleaning the area surrounding the campus on a monthly basis.