Jan Cilliers honoured with Antoine Gaudin Award
- Wits Alumni Relations
Wits-engineering graduate recognised for his innovation in separating valuable minerals from waste.
Professor Jan Cilliers (BSc Eng 1984, MSc 1987) of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London was awarded the for 2025 by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME).
The award, established in 1975, is one of the most respected accolades in the mining and minerals engineering community and honours individuals who have made specific and significant contributions to the advancement of mineral processing and its operations. In its official citation, SME honoured Prof Cilliers specifically for “contributions in development and application of methods for tracking, characterising and modelling particle motion and separation in classifiers and froth flotation processing equipment”. The award ceremony took place at the 2026 SME annual conference earlier this year in February 2026.
Prof Cilliers has held the chair in mineral processing at Imperial College since 2005 and he has enjoyed a career defined by innovative approaches to separate valuable minerals from waste material. His primary research focus has been on manipulating the complex structures of froth in flotation processes.
In a post, shared in last month, he said the announcement “was such a surprise and such a pleasure to receive the Gaudin Award. I was especially thankful to the committee that thought me worthy of the award.
“It is one of the most prestigious recognitions in our field,” he said. “It is an acknowledgement of the respect and esteem of your peers. I am very honoured to have received it.”
With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Prof Cilliers’ journey in academia began at Wits, where he completed his engineering degree in metallurgy and materials science. His master’s thesis in 1987 was titled “Hydrometallurgical simulations – a viable program structure”.
He went on to complete his a PhD from the University of Cape Town and held various academic positions at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology before joining Imperial College. He was a former director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Advanced Mineral Recovery at Imperial College from 2006 to 2010. Under his tenure, he secured “substantial industrial research support, fostering a strong link between academic inquiry and practical industrial application”. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2010. He is a sought-after speaker, having delivered plenary addresses at major international conferences.
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