Deanna Kemp

Deanna is a leading international expert focused on the social and political challenges of the global mining industry. She specialises in industry-engaged social science that bridges company and community perspectives on extractive industries. Particular areas of expertise include company-community conflict, displacement and resettlement, and human rights and development challenges. Deanna studies how the global mining industry is organised, resourced and incentivised to respond to these pressing challenges.

Deanna Co-chairs the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), and the New Member Review Panel for the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). She is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, a member of the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA), the International Network of Displacement and Resettlement (INDR) and the Society for Applied Anthropological Association (SfAA).

After commencing her research career with UQ in 2006 as a Senior Research Fellow with CSRM, in 2012 she became Associate Professor and CSRM’s Deputy Director, and then in 2016 Professor and Director of the Centre. Deanna has made significant contributions to positioning CSRM as a world-leading centre of research excellence. In her current role, Deanna develops and delivers high-profile research, leads diverse project teams, and oversees more than 40 staff and PhD students.

Industry Engagement

Deanna engages with most of the world’s major mining companies, and many of its peak industry bodies, including the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM). She also engages with international finance institutions and other norm-setting bodies. She has collaborated with international non-government organisations—including Oxfam and Human Rights Watch—on industry-related studies. Before her academic career, Deanna held senior positions in the mining industry, working in corporate and operational roles at BHP, and as an advisor to a number of other global resources companies, including Newmont Mining.

Collaborations

At The University of Queensland, Deanna has collegial relationships with the School of Social Science, including the Institute of Social Sciences Research (ISSR). She also has a range of national and international collaborative projects, including with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Monash Indonesia. She has in the past collaborated with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government on joint research.