Professor Doug Aitken has commenced his role as the inaugural director of the Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining (CERM) at The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI).
CERM integrates the teams from SMI’s Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (CWiMI) and Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation (CMLR) to enhance research and capability in environmental and water management for the resources sector.
Professor Aitken joins the Centre from SMI’s International Centre of Excellence in Chile where he served as Executive Director for three years, forging strong partnerships with government, industry, and academia.
Professor Aitken said he was pleased to accept the role and was looking forward to working with colleagues across SMI and the broader UQ community.
“I want to position CERM as a world leading centre for environmental management in mining, not only through the services we provide to industry but also in advancing the science related to responsible environmental practices in the sector,” he said.
CERM builds on a long history of cutting-edge research developed at both CWiMI and CMLR, and current projects reflect CERM’s commitment to delivering practical, science-driven solutions that shape the future of responsible mining.
These include Professor Longbin Huang’s pioneering work on red mud which is advancing toward commercialisation; Professor Mansour Edraki’s innovative research into acid mine drainage and geochemistry; Professor Peter Erskine’s work on the impacts of mining activities on flora and fauna; and Professor Claire Cote’s research into environmental solutions for the mining industry, delivering innovative and sustainable outcomes from exploration through to closure.
“I am looking forward to building on the work UQ and SMI have been doing on both sides of the Pacific and developing even stronger connections between Australia and Chile where we share similar challenges - water scarcity, acid mine drainage, conservation of fragile ecosystems, carbon capture - we have all of that in common,” he said.
With a background in civil and environmental engineering, Professor Aitken has focused throughout his career on developing and managing multidisciplinary research projects aimed at long-term sustainability.
SMI Director Professor Rick Valenta said Professor Aitken’s appointment reinforces the Institute’s commitment to collaboration.
“CERM’s activities span the entire range of current environmental challenges in the resources industry,” Professor Valenta said.
“I think we can add a huge amount of value to our partners by drawing on the expertise we have in CERM, in Chile, in other SMI centres, and across the broader UQ research community.”
