The centre is primarily engaged in research in the mining sector, although it has also done research in the financial and retail sectors and does not exclude research in other sectors. The research can be extremely valuable to companies wishing to evaluate and improve their CSR policies and practices.

 

Hosted in the focus area for Social Transformation within the Faculty of Arts on the Potchefstroom Campus, the centre is the brain child of its first director, the late Prof Freek Cronjé.

 

Since opening its doors at the beginning of 2012, it has embarked on exciting projects that not only enhance research and training in the CSR arena but also emphasise relevant and effective community engagement.

 

“The Bench Marks Centre is especially instrumental in raising awareness locally and internationally of the circumstances that mining communities find themselves in with regard to mining operations,” says Suzanne Reyneke, researcher.

 

The postgraduate programmes are major components of the academic activities of the centre, which offers a unique master’s and doctoral programme. Both qualifications are in development studies with a CSR curriculum. The centre also offers three accredited short courses in CSR.

 

Its postdoctoral fellow, Dr Ignatius Mariyadoss, says the centre’s expertise is renowned. “I became involved with the centre after searching for CSR experts on the internet. The names of the Bench Marks Centre for CSR and Prof Freek Cronjé were the first search results.”

 

The projects

 

The centre’s current research projects include its Soweto health project, an assessment of the extractive industries transparency initiative (EITI) and a revenue-sharing project in the mining sector.

 

The Soweto health project looks into the conditions people face when living near working or abandoned mines. The project will also investigate badly managed operations or mines that have been illegally abandoned in the Soweto area.

 

The Bench Mark Centre is critically assessing the EITI as part of another project. The EITI is a voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiative for the extractive industries, bringing government, industry and civil society together.

 

The newest project focuses on revenue sharing in the South African mining context, and is funded by the Open Society Foundation of South Africa.

 

This project aims to define the imperative of revenue sharing. It also determines and scrutinises revenue-sharing initiatives that are enforced or implied by legislation. Its aim, keeping international best practices in mind, is to recommend functional, viable and sustainable revenue-sharing models for the South African mining industry.

 

The future is bright

 

“The centre has a well-established relationship with other countries in BRICS (consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). We have international students in our master’s and doctoral programme. We hope to see that these international relationships extend even further,” says Prof Eddie Bain, senior researcher.

 

Christine Knoetze, administrative officer, says the centre has a promising future and will grow its research platform and master’s and doctoral students. It will also continue to reach affected communities through its research.

 

How alumni can get involved

 

The centre relies on funding for their projects and research. This is where alumni can become involved. “Alumni can identify and fund projects and we will then do the research on their behalf,” says Eddie.

 

Suzanne says the centre also uses experts in other disciplines and fields when they work on projects or academic publications.

 

For more information, phone Christine Knoetze, administrative officer, at
018 285 2561.