The SME Story Goes Public
There are moments in institutional life when a “facility” stops being a room and becomes a message.
For Taita Taveta University’s School of Mines and Engineering (SME), one such message has been made tangible through the full equipping of the Survey Laboratory with grants from the DAAD under the decade-long CEMEREM project—an investment that is not merely about instruments, but about intentionality. It is about quality exposure of our students to practicals in mining and engineering surveys, where theory meets terrain, and where competence is measured not by confidence, but by accuracy, repeatability, and professional discipline.
In the DIGI-FACE spirit, this is what we call fit-for-purpose learning infrastructure—the kind that graduates do not merely remember, but carry into the field as a competitive advantage. I’ll also add that it is fit for context.
And so, from this strong foundation of “tools in hand” comes our next statement of purpose:
The Inaugural SME Magazine
Today, we proudly announce the release of the Inaugural SME Magazine—a flagship publication of the School of Mines and Engineering, Taita Taveta University (TTU), and a strategic storytelling platform for our scholarship, our innovations, our people, and our promise.
This magazine is not a ceremonial brochure.
It is a living mirror of a School that is evolving—one that understands that visibility is not vanity, but a vital pathway to partnerships, enrolment growth, research traction, and industry confidence.
The Promise of the SME Magazine
I. To document excellence and make it searchable
Great work often disappears in corridors, workshops, and closed rooms. The SME Magazine preserves it—so our stakeholders can see, cite, and support it.
II. To bridge classroom learning with industry realities
From mining engineering to environmental and mineral processing pathways, we are curating evidence of practical training, industry-aligned thinking, and field-ready competence.
III. To amplify student and staff champions
A School grows fastest when its people are seen. The magazine will consistently spotlight our staff expertise, student projects, alumni trajectories, and mentorship narratives that prove what is possible.
IV. To strengthen partnerships and MoUs with clarity of value
Partnerships thrive where value is clearly articulated. The SME Magazine makes our offer legible to industry, government, development partners, and sister universities.
V. To drive enrolment through credible visibility
Students do not only choose programmes; they choose futures. The magazine will help prospective learners and parents see SME not as “an option,” but as a strategic pathway into mining, engineering, geomatics, and the wider extractives and infrastructure ecosystem.
Projected Impact: Why this Launch Matters
Over the coming editions, the SME Magazine is projected to become:
- A reference point for TTU’s growing influence in mining and engineering education.
- A recruitment asset for students, staff, and partners.
- A knowledge bridge connecting research, policy, innovation, and employability.
- A credibility amplifier—supporting accreditation journeys, lab development, and professional alignment.
- A community builder—bringing together staff, students, alumni, industry, and friends of the School into one shared story of progress.
In simple terms: if you cannot communicate your capacity, you will always be underestimated.
This magazine corrects that. The African proverb consummates it all: until lions learn to write, hunters will keep telling the story—and we know too well who that story will glorify.
A Decade of CEMEREM: The Root System Behind the Fruits
This inaugural edition is also a celebration—a deliberate salute to CEMEREM’s decade of impact on the School of Mines and Engineering.
CEMEREM has been more than a centre; it has been a catalyst. Over ten years, it has shaped the School’s direction through capacity-building, international linkages, research culture, innovation exposure, and an expanding ecosystem of collaboration.
And we should start this celebration where it matters most: student experience and practical competence.
The full equipping of the Survey Laboratory is a signature example of what a decade of vision looks like when it becomes measurable. It means:
- students learning surveying as a professional craft, not a theoretical topic;
- field practicals that are structured, frequent, and industry-relevant;
- stronger readiness for mining surveys, engineering setting-out, deformation monitoring, volumetrics, and modern geospatial workflows.
CEMEREM has helped the School shift from simply teaching content to building capability.
From Celebration to Continuity: What We Invite You Into
This magazine is a launch, yes—but also an invitation.
- To industry partners: collaborate, co-supervise, host attachments, sponsor labs, support innovation, and shape curriculum relevance.
- To alumni: come back, mentor, write, recruit, and invest in the School that built you.
- To students: take ownership of your learning journey; let your projects be publishable, presentable, and purposeful.
- To staff: keep building, keep documenting, and keep mentoring—because we are not just producing graduates; we are producing a standard for the outstanding.
- To friends of TTU and CEMEREM: continue walking with us as we convert promise into pipelines, and pipelines into prosperity.
A Decade Engineered: The TTU Success Story Continues
A decade of CEMEREM has shown us something profound: institutions do not rise by slogans; they rise by systems, partnerships, and visible proof of work.
The fully-equipped Survey Lab is proof.
The Inaugural SME Magazine is proof.
And the next decade—by grace, discipline, and collaboration—will be even louder in impact.
Welcome to the magazine.
Welcome to the momentum.
Welcome to SME—where learning meets the field, and the future is engineered on purpose.
From the Dean’s Desk
School of Mines and Engineering (SME)
Taita Taveta University
In partnership spirit with DIGI-FACE and in celebration of CEMEREM’s Decade of Delivery
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