Dear Students and Valued Stakeholders of the Mining Industry;
Mining activities are almost as old as human history. Indeed, even in prehistoric times, names of minerals such as stone, copper, bronze, and iron were used. Archaeological remains reveal that a mine was located near major civilizations, and the processing of these minerals yielded significant military and commercial gains. This situation is remarkably similar today. While until recently it was argued that mining activities were unnecessary and that raw materials could be obtained from various parts of the world at a cost, the emergence of economic warfare has made raw material supply security one of the most important issues. In Europe and in our country, critical raw materials have been identified, and ensuring their supply security has been emphasized as a priority security matter. Similarly, the importance of minerals defined as energy raw materials, such as coal, in terms of the security and sustainability of energy resources has been better understood.
Mines have played a locomotive role in the development of industry from the past to the present. Only the technological requirements of the day and the types of minerals used in their production have changed over the years. While iron and its derivatives were previously in demand among metallic minerals, the shift towards renewable energy, particularly from fossil fuels, has led to a focus on Rare Earth Elements (REEs), lithium, copper, cobalt, and nickel. Countries and mining companies positioned to produce these minerals will be critically important in today’s technological advancements.
Since our country is located in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic and Tethys metallogenic belts, it possesses a wide variety of mineral deposits geologically as a result of volcanic, metamorphic, and tectonic processes. Due to the repetition of this orogenesis, our mineral deposits are numerous, deformed, and have relatively small reserves. Therefore, the most efficient production of our minerals is possible only through the full application of an engineering approach and the mining engineering profession.
Hosting 70 of the 90 minerals traded globally, our country ranks 8th among 168 countries in terms of resource diversity. Metallic minerals, natural stone/marble, industrial raw materials, and coal hold a significant place in our country’s mineral production and export. Afyonkarahisar, particularly known for its world-famous marbles such as Afyon White, Afyon Violet, and Tiger Skin, is one of Türkiye’s important marble production centers and stands out in the sector with its rich marble deposits. The Dokimenium Ancient Marble Quarry is one of the historically significant marble quarries in the region and is an important legacy showing that marble has been extracted since ancient times.
Our Mining Engineering Department has embraced this historical heritage and has included marble mining and marble processing technologies in its curriculum, enabling mining engineers to create a unique infrastructure for working in this field. In addition to the department’s laboratories such as the Mining Operations Laboratory, Ore Preparation and Enrichment Laboratory, Mine Ventilation and Occupational Safety Laboratory, CNC Marble Processing Laboratory, and the newly established Hydraulic Rock Cracking Laboratory, the university’s extensive analysis laboratory infrastructure; the printed and electronic book resources of our department and central library; and the numerous nearby marble quarries and processing facilities offer significant advantages to our students studying in the field of mining engineering.
One of the duties of universities, and therefore of our Department, is to educate and train engineers, as well as to conduct research and development activities and develop technical solutions to the problems of the mining sector. In this sense, our Department clearly declares its intention to work together with mining companies operating in our sector, to share experience, to develop solutions to problems, and thus to create added value. Collaborations with our mining sector are established through organizing congresses and symposiums, conducting joint projects, providing academic consultancy, and offering other industrial services. Our Department is also open to new collaboration proposals in this regard.
I invite all young people to the Mining Engineering Department of Afyon Kocatepe University, where we will train engineers with the scientific and technical skills required by our time, with an environmentally and human-centered approach, valuing social approval, and embracing a sustainable mining understanding.
With my deepest respect, together with my esteemed colleagues…
Prof. Dr. İrfan Celal ENGİN
Head of Mining Engineering Department