CEMEREM: Fostering Collaboration for Mining and Natural Resource Management Education and Research
Established in 2016, the Kenyan-German Centre of Excellence for Mining, Environmental Engineering, and Resource Management (CEMEREM) is the 8th Centre of Excellence under the DAAD-funded Centres of African Excellence, the first one with an engineering orientation. Taita Taveta University (TTU) is the local hosting institution for CEMEREM and partners with two top universities in Germany to manage the project effectively: TU Bergakademie Freiberg and HTW-Dresden.
Under CEMEREM, qualified students drawn from Kenya and East Africa have benefitted from postgraduate scholarships for specialisation in Mining Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Natural Resource Management. In 2022, eight former students graduated from the CEMEREM scholarship programme. Since 2017, CEMEREM has been sponsoring annual Summer Schools in Germany and Kenya for the much-needed international exposure of staff and students to key issues and current developments in mining and natural resource management. CEMEREM also holds a series of international biennial mining conferences in Kenya (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, …), the 4th International Biennial CEMEREM Conference scheduled for October 5-6, 2023, in Mombasa, with the theme: The Future of Mining and Natural Resource Management in Africa: Training, Research and Policy Direction for Sustainable Development. The two preceding days (3rd and 4th) will be reserved for pre-conference training/short courses. Be on the lookout for announcements of the international conference from the CEMEREM website, Taita Taveta University website, social media, and the mass media.
CEMEREM facilitated a visit by two professors from TU Bergakademie Freiberg to Taita Taveta University (TTU) in Kenya. The visit focused on collaboration with the Kenyan government and TTU to advance mining and natural resource management education, training, and research. The professors held meetings with the Principal Secretary of Mining in the Ministry of Mining and the Governor of Taita Taveta County to discuss the importance of mining education, training, and research in the county. The visit concluded with a proposal for the implementation of a new Triple Degree Programme for MSc in Advanced Mineral Resource Management, which will bring together three distinguished universities to provide students with a comprehensive and international approach to mineral resource management: Taita Taveta University (Kenya), TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), and Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria). The engagement was impactful and played a significant role in inspiring mining education, training, and research in Kenya.
The Visit: Justification and Achievements
It is critical that we recognise the significance of mineral resources to the heavily mineral-driven future of human civilisation. It is urgent to take proactive steps to ensure their sustainable management for the benefit of both present and future generations. The importance and urgency of Africa’s mineral reserves cannot be overstated, with the continent being home to around 30% of the world’s reserves. Gold mining is a crucial mining activity in many African countries, and artisanal miners are prevalent in all mining regions. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has given an estimate of 40 million people globally working in artisanal and small-scale mining, a significant proportion of them in Africa.
Kenya’s Vision 2030 plan aims to significantly boost the mining sector’s contribution to the GDP. However, despite the sector’s potential, current reports indicate that it contributes barely 1% to the GDP, with some activities within the broader mining sector remaining unaccounted for due to contested accounting mechanisms. It is imperative that we address this issue and take concrete steps towards maximising the mining sector’s potential, thereby driving economic growth and development.
Two professors from the Technical University and Mining Academy, Freiberg (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), Germany, visited Taita Taveta University (TTU), Kenya, as part of the key activities of the Centre of Excellence for Mining, Environmental Engineering and Resource Management (CEMEREM). Prof. Carsten Drebenstedt and Prof. Jan Bongaerts held meetings during their visit from 31st March to 4th April 2023. The purpose of their visit was to further enrich the ongoing partnership between TTU and TU Bergakademie Freiberg (since 2016) – particularly in the field of mining and natural resource management education, training, and research. The visit was significant, given Freiberg’s history of silver mining dating back to the 12th century and hosting what is considered the world’s oldest university of mining and metallurgy, founded in 1765.
The two German professors, together with their host, Prof. Fred Barasa (Vice-Chancellor, TTU), held discussions with the Principal Secretary of Mining in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs. They also met with the Governor of Taita Taveta County to discuss the importance of mining education, training, and research in the county. On 3rd April 2023, the two visitors met with the CEMEREM Project Management Committee at TTU to discuss various agenda. The agenda included the upcoming CEMEREM conference, teaching roles of German partners at TTU for 2023, the upcoming CEMEREM Summer School to be held in Germany, a DAAD-sponsored Alumni Seminar in Johannesburg on water needs in Africa (not within the CEMEREM budget), and a new proposal for alumni activities in 2024 and 2025 to be submitted to the DAAD by the end of June 2023. During the meeting, Prof. Carsten Drebenstedt presented a proposal for the implementation of a new Triple Degree Programme for MSc in Advanced Mineral Resource Management. This innovative programme will bring together three distinguished universities: Taita Taveta University (Kenya), TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), and Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), to provide students with a comprehensive and international approach to mineral resource management. This collaborative effort is a significant step towards fostering global partnerships and knowledge sharing in the field of mineral resource management.
During the meeting, the attendees resolved to expand the upcoming CEMEREM Conference to include pre-conference training of 2 days (3rd and 4th October 2023) before the main conference on 5th and 6th October 2023. The proposed theme of the conference, The Future of Mining and Natural Resource Management in Africa: Training, Research and Policy Direction for Sustainable Development, was retained, and a sub-theme on Innovations for sustainable artisanal and small-scale mining was added. To enrich the experience of the 4th International Biennial CEMEREM Conference, a roundtable, exhibitions, and a Young Scientists Contest were also included.
On 4th April 2023, the visiting professors met with postgraduate students and exchanged useful research ideas. An evening farewell dinner then took place at the exquisite Salt Lick Safari Lodge in Bura, Taita Taveta County, to conclude the visit.
The engagement between TTU, the Government of Kenya, and the County Government of Taita Taveta was highly impactful, and the visit by Prof. Carsten Drebenstedt and Prof. Jan Bongaerts played a significant role in inspiring mining education, training, and research in Kenya. It is increasingly evident that the operationalisation of the National Mining Institute (NMI) to be hosted at TTU will contribute significantly to the Vision 2030 goal of increasing mining’s contribution to the GDP.