Every year, the world’s top universities are assessed for the quality of their education, research and credibility with employers in the QS World University Ranking.

Where mining engineering is concerned, this year’s rankings paint an interesting global picture.

While the top 10 universities are mostly located in the US, Canada and Australia, a number of schools in East Asia, India and South America have also made it into the top 50 – along with SA’s very own Wits University.

Who is dominating the top 10?

At the top of the world rankings is the famous Colorado School of Mines in the USA. Two Australian schools – Curtin University and Queensland University – round out the top three.

These institutions are joined by three Canadian universities, one more from the US and Australia respectively, and one from Germany to make up the top nine. In tenth place is the highest-ranked mining school in a developing country: the Universidad de Chile in Chile, South America.

Where does SA rank?

The mining schools that make up the next 40 positions in the world top 50 are a diverse mix. Universities from India, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan and several other nations are well-represented.

South Africa’s Wits University may have fallen 4 places since last year’s ranking, but at 22nd place it still holds its own among the world’s best.

As the sole African and South African university on the list, and with smaller budgets than many of its rivals, Wits continues to be a centre of excellence in the field of mining engineering.

What the rankings tell us about the global mining sector

Mining takes place across the globe, but as this year’s rankings show, the expertise in the mining industry is still concentrated in countries with large, sophisticated mining sectors and a long history of mineral exploration.

While new mines in new destinations, especially those on the African continent, may outnumber those in traditional mining countries, the skills and technologies are likely to be rooted in the USA, Canada, and Australia for the foreseeable future.

Montabert prides itself on technical innovation in the mining technology sector. As developing countries raise their skills and research efforts to compete at the highest level, we aim to provide our customers with equipment and solutions that are world-class.