Wali is a dedicated third-year PhD student at the University of Queensland's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering. Hailing from Bangladesh, he holds a BSc (honours) and an MS (research) in applied mathematics from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Building on his academic foundation, Wali pursued a second MS (advanced research) in optimisation at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Currently immersed in his doctoral journey, Wali's research focus is on optimising production scheduling in sublevel stoping mining operations. What sets his work apart is the incorporation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations, aligning mining practices with sustainability goals. His innovative approach involves the use of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to enhance production efficiency while adhering to ESG principles.

Cuthbert is a Professor and former Head of School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has over 30 years of mining engineering experience spread across mine production management and planning, consulting, and academia. Cuthbert is an Honorary Life Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), a Past President and former Honorary Treasurer for the SAIMM and a professional engineer (Pr. Eng.) with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). He is also a member of the international Society of Mining Professors (SOMP). Cuthbert serves as a Managing Editor of the International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment and is a member of Editorial Boards of the Resources Policy journal and the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the MDPI Mining journal. He served on the international Organising Committee for the Mine Planning and Equipment Selection (MPES) conference series from 2012 to 2019 and was the Chairperson of the Organising Committee for MPES2015. He is a Council member for the international Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Minerals Industries (APCOM) conference series and was the Chairperson of the Organising Committee for APCOM2021.

Graduated in Mining Engineering from UFRGS with a Master's degree in Engineering (use of geophysical profiling in grade estimation), Specialization in Geostatistics in Fontainebleau and trained as a Machine Learning Engineer. He has 16 years of experience in resource assessment and 5 years in resource planning mine.Responsible for estimating project resources (FEL1 level) incommodities: Coal, Bauxite, Iron Ore, Phosphates, Nickel, Laterite, Rare Earths and Copper for greenfields and brownfields projects. Worked on special projects: geological risk analysis; simulation of production scenarios; plant power variability analysis; geostatistical simulation and stochastic planning. Educator Agent on geostatistical topics and professor of the discipline of “Strategic and Operational Planning” and “Applied Geostatistics the mining” of the Specialization Course at the Vale Technological Institute. Competent Pearson in estimating Resources by the Brazilian Resources and Reserves Commission. As independent consultant, worked on the evaluation of resource estimation (GAP Analysis) and creation of resource trees classification for lithological definition. Expanded knowledge of estimation of Mineral Resources in Iron ore and MgO. Applied geostatistical simulation on deleterious elements as guidance in mining planning. International experience in consultancy, Nickel Mineral Resource estimate review (Peer Review).

Shiju Wang is from Anhui University of Science and Technology (China), and she is currently a joint PhD student at the University of Wollongong (Australia). Her research focuses on coal oxidation and wettability, with an emphasis on developing eco-friendly solutions for the coal industry. She is particularly interested in the research and development of sustainable dust suppression materials, the oxidation and wetting characteristics of modified coal, and the synergistic effects of surfactants in coal seam water injection. Her recent studies explore the influence of surfactant adsorption on coal microstructure and the development of mathematical models for wettability behavior. Shiju Wang has authored several impactful publications, including: Effect of sophorolipid adsorption on the coal microstructure: experimental and wettability mathematical model discussion (Langmuir, 2023). Influence of surfactant adsorption on coal oxidation and wettability: Experimental discussion and model development (Energy, 2024). As an emerging scholar, Shiju Wang is committed to advancing sustainable practices in the coal industry, addressing environmental challenges, and improving resource utilization.

Dr Klaus Thoeni is Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle. He obtained his PhD and Master's degrees in civil engineering from Graz University of Technology (Austria) and moved to Australia in 2010. Klaus is a highly motivated academic with a strong international reputation for research excellence in numerical modelling and photogrammetry applied to practical geotechnical problems. With over 100 research publications to his credit, he has established himself as a leader in the field. His research focuses on the development of cutting-edge three-dimensional computational models for rock and soil mechanics problems for more cost-effective and safer engineering designs. He is passionate about solving complex real-world engineering problems and committed to bringing about a positive change in the mining and quarry industry through his pioneering engineering solutions. He is a reviewer for leading international journals in computational mechanics, rock mechanics, soil mechanics and remote sensing. Klaus is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Geotechnical Journal and Computers and Geotechnics.