Dr. Jürgen-Johann Rupp
Chairman of the Executive Board (President) of the German Coal Association (GVSt), Essen, and Member of the Executive Board
of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen
When the Board of the German Coal Association (GVSt) resolved in 2014 that the Association should take over the editorship of the technical journal Mining Report Glückauf it was a decision based on two key aims. Firstly, this specialist publication with its strong historical links should continue to serve as a platform for scientific exchange and at the very least up to the end-date for German coal production. This objective has been achieved, as you can see from this latest edition of the magazine, now in its 154th year, which you are holding in your hands. Over the last four years authors from the RAG Group have used the Mining Report as a forum for their various reports and papers covering technology, corporate organisation, occupational safety and, increasingly, the particular theme of the post-mining era.
At the same time the Association took on the task of developing the magazine – which has been so influenced by the coal industry over the years – in such a way as to establish a clear thematic and commercial perspective beyond 2018.
We have now embarked on this path. While keeping with the printed issues for the moment we shall also be using campus licences to make the digital editions available to universities and students. Retaining the bi-lingual format throughout will emphasise the international aspirations of the magazine – with a special focus on the European market. As well as covering the post-mining themes that have emerged from the active years of the coal mining industry we have made it our objective to establish Mining Report Glückauf as a leading European publication with a high academic standing.
In this regard it is most important that we monitor the existing scientific quality of the magazine by way of a formal quality assurance process. It is therefore proposed, from the beginning of 2019, to instigate a peer review process in line with the highest scientific standards. As no comparable system yet exists within the European mining sector it is to be hoped that closing this loophole will also help establish the magazine as a successful international publication. In the past we have always been able to count on the advice and support of the mining universities and I am optimistic that they will join us in taking this important step forwards.
The GVSt will now step back from its commercial responsibility for Mining Report Glückauf, though will continue to maintain a watching brief on the magazine content. The groundwork has now been laid for a successful start to a new era in what will be the 155th year of this historically significant publication.
So may I wish success and good luck to one and all.
Dr. Jürgen-Johann Rupp
Chairman of the Executive Board (President) of the German Coal Association (GVSt), Essen, and Member of the Executive Board
of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Essen