Professor David Williams and Dr Mehdi Serati from UQ’s School of Civil Engineering will manage over $3.5 million in funding from global mining companies for the fourth round of the Large Open Pit Project (LOP IV) from 2025 to 2028.
The LOP is a global research and education consortium sponsored by global mining companies, first established in 2005. Professor Williams and Dr Serati have managed the LOP since 2016.
“Involvement in the LOP provides numerous benefits, including a voice in shaping the content and priority of high-impact research and training projects, direct and early access to LOP's cutting-edge applied research results, and involvement in the delivery of online LOP courses and webinars for professional growth. Sponsors benefit from regular teleconferences and bi-annual meetings managed by UQ, offering valuable networking opportunities with other sponsors, service providers, and subject mater experts”, said Professor Williams.
“The Large Open Pit Project aims to advance knowledge and innovation in open-pit mining through three key initiatives: (i) developing industry-standard reference books and guidelines focused on the design and stability of large slopes, (ii) supporting research proposals that address critical challenges in slope design by uniting industry and academic experts, and (iii) promoting education and professional development within the geotechnical community inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in this field,” said Dr Serati.
We wish Professor Williams and Dr Serati continued success with the LOP IV initiative. For more information on LOP IV and to access its rich repository of online webinars and publications, visit the LOP Education Centre at https://www.lopproject.com/.
