From technical description to the management of coalmining techniques: The evolution of mining education from the nineteenth century to the interwar period

Abstract

The extraction of coal was an important economic issue during the nineteenth century and the first third of the twentieth century. As a result, the technical education of future engineers became a means of promoting the industrial development of the country. However, the knowledge transmitted was not the same from one period to another. In engineering schools, the lessons evolved from the simple technical description of machines to knowledge taking into account the technical, economic, and social dimensions of a coalmine. During the interwar period, this education enabled future operators to manage technology as a resource and capital for the company.