William Joughin – a former chairman of SRK Consulting (South Africa) and one of the country’s leading rock engineering specialists –has been inducted as the new president of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).
The induction took place at the SAIMM’s annual general meeting on 17 August 2023, where Joughin presented a customary presidential address. His chosen topic was ‘Managing geotechnical uncertainty and risk in mining.’
“It is certainly an honour to be invited to this position, especially given the strong links that have developed between SRK and the SAIMM over the years,” he said. He is the fourth SAIMM president from this international consulting network of engineers and scientists. SRK co-founder Oskar Steffen held the post in 1989, while Roger Dixon took on the role in 1998 and Dick Stacey in 2003.
Joughin noted the vital role that the SAIMM plays in providing a forum for professionals from various disciplines in the mining sector to engage with challenging technical issues of the day. As the global economy moves toward a lower carbon future, mining today assumes an important obligation to responsibly generate the minerals that will make this shift possible.
“Southern Africa is already the focus of considerable attention in the search for battery and other metals, and the SAIMM works in support of all those professionals who bring their depth of expertise to this effort,” he said. “We also work closely with the wide range of associations and institutes that represent mining-related disciplines, to develop the skills and insights needed to meet and raise standards.”
Read the full article on African Mining.
