The success of the Australian mining industry depends on the quality of
its skills. High quality skills supported by a culture which demands
success lead to innovations, good practices and prosperity. Average skills
lead inevitably to mediocrity. Universities play an essential role in the development and use of skills
but the crucial industry-university links have been subordinated to
conventional academic interests in training mining and processing
engineers. It is only in the area of post-graduate research degrees which
are oriented towards the mineral industry that Australia can claim world
leadership. Deficiencies are not due to lack of training resources, they are due to
inadequate utilisation of the resources that are available. Australia can
and should have the world's best mineral engineering school, with a
branch in Asia where many of its customers are and close ties with South
America where some of its production operations will be. Some steps
which might be taken to achieve this are proposed.