Alan Shemi is a hydrometallurgical engineer who has worked at a copper refining plant in a giant mining conglomerate for 8 years, as a health care entrepreneur for 6 years, and as a postgraduate teaching assistant for 4 years. He joined ZCCM, a mining giant company, as a senior assistant metallurgical engineer and then rose to plant metallurgist. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Zambia where he studied metallurgy and mineral processing, and holds a Master's degree and is completing his PhD in metallurgy and materials at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is passionate about research and process development in hydrometallurgical engineering and is a student member of SAIMM.