![Honorary Professor Saleem Ali](/sites/default/files/profiles/2846.jpeg)
Overview
Background
Prof. Saleem Ali served as the Director of the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) from 2012 to 2014 and is currently Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware (USA). He retains an affiliate research professorship at UQ and has also held the Chair in Sustainable Resource Development at UQ's Sustainable Minerals Institute. As an environmental planner, his research and practice is highly interdisciplinary and aims to inform social management with rigorous science.
Former Professional Experience
Prof. Ali was a Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources from 2002 to 2012 and the founding Director of the Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security at UVM's James Jeffords Center for Policy Research. He was also on the adjunct faculty of Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies and the visiting faculty for the United Nations mandated University for Peace (Costa Rica).
Before embarking on an academic career, Prof. Ali worked as an environmental health and safety professional at General Electric (based at GE headquarters in Fairfield, CT, and at silicone resin manufacturing sites in New York). He has served as a consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Health Canada. He has also been an Associate at the Boston-based consulting firm Industrial Economics Inc. Some of his pro bono projects include a mining impact prospectus for the Crowe Tribe of Montana and research assistance to Cultural Survival (an indigenous rights NGO).
Past Research
Prof. Ali's primary research interests have been in the causes and consequences of environmental conflicts in the research sector, and the process of using ecological factors to promote peace. Some of Prof. Ali’s former research appointments include a visiting fellowship at the Brookings Institution's research center in Doha, Qatar; a Public Policy Fellowship at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, a Baker Foundation Research Fellowship at Harvard Business School and a parliamentary internship at the U.K. House of Commons. Dr Ali has teaching experience in courses on environmental planning, conflict resolution, industrial ecology, research methods and technical writing.
Publications
Prof. Ali’s books include the Treasures of the Earth: Need, Greed and a Sustainable Future (Yale University Press, 2010) which received a cover endorsement from Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus for providing a "welcome link between environmental behaviour and poverty alleviation." Among his earlier works is the acclaimed comparative case-based research book Mining, the Environment and Indigenous Development Conflicts (University of Arizona Press). Prof. Ali has served as an editor in many publications including Earth Matters: Indigenous Peoples, The Extractive Industries and Corporate Social Responsibility (edited with Ciaran O'Fairchellaegh) and the widely acclaimed volume Peace Parks: Conservation and Conflict Resolution (MIT Press, September, 2007), which has received cover endorsements from environmental scientists E.O. Wilson, George Schaller and UNEP executive director Achim Steiner, and a foreword by IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre. He has also published in a wide range of peer-reveiwed journals including Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Resources Policy and Journal of Cleaner Production. A full list of publications can be found in the publication interface of thsi page or in Google Scholar.
Awards and Recognition
The World Economic Forum chose Prof. Ali as a "Young Global Leader" in 2011. He has also been selected by the National Geographic Society as an "Emerging Explorer" and was profiled in "Forbes magazine" in September, 2009 in an article titled "The Alchemist."
Other Interests and positions
Prof. Ali is a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas and the IUCN Taskforce on Transboundary Conservation. He is also a professional mediator and has conducted workshops on consensus-building for private and public interests. He has assisted in the peer review process for research publications with the World Bank, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, The Woodrow Wilson Center, the Journal of Environmental Management, the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, the Natural Resources Forum and Yale University Press.
Prof. Ali is involved in numerous non-profit organizations to promote environmental peace-building. He currently serves on the board of The DMZ Forum for Peace and Nature Conservation and International Peace Park Expeditions in the United States and on the board of governors for LEAD-Pakistan. He has also been involved in promoting environmental education in madrassahs (Islamic religious schools) and using techniques from environmental planning to study the rise of these institutions in his ethnic homeland, Pakistan. This prompted Prof. Ali to publish a sole-authored book in January 2009 titled Islam and Education: Conflict and Conformity in Pakistan's Madrassahs (Oxford University Press)
Professor Ali received his doctorate in Environmental Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an M.E.S. in environmental law and policy from Yale University, and his Bachelors in Chemistry from Tufts University (summa cum laude).
Availability
- Honorary Professor Saleem Ali is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Research impacts
Based on the impact of Professor Ali's research he was asked to serve on the Global Future Council on Advanced Materials convemed by the World economic Forum from 2016 to 2018 and he is also an expert advisor to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. In addition he is serving on the Governance Task Force of the United Nations' International Resource Panel.
Works
Search Professor Saleem Ali’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
Material efficiency strategies to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings, vehicles, and electronics—a review
Hertwich, Edgar G., Ali, Saleem, Ciacci, Luca, Fishman, Tomer, Heeren, Niko, Masanet, Eric, Asghari, Farnaz Nojavan, Olivetti, Elsa, Pauliuk, Stefan, Tu, Qingshi and Wolfram, Paul (2019). Material efficiency strategies to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings, vehicles, and electronics—a review. Environmental Research Letters, 14 (4) 043004, 043004. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab0fe3
2019
Journal Article
Gemstone supply chains and development in Pakistan: analyzing the post-Taliban emerald economy in the Swat Valley
Makki, Muhammad and Ali, Saleem H. (2019). Gemstone supply chains and development in Pakistan: analyzing the post-Taliban emerald economy in the Swat Valley. Geoforum, 100, 166-175. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2019.01.005
2019
Journal Article
World Heritage in danger: Big data and remote sensing can help protect sites in conflict zones
Levin, Noam, Ali, Saleem, Crandall, David and Kark, Salit (2019). World Heritage in danger: Big data and remote sensing can help protect sites in conflict zones. Global Environmental Change, 55, 97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.02.001
2019
Book
Africa’s mineral fortune: the science and politics of mining and sustainable development
Saleem H. Ali, Kathryn Sturman and Nina Collins eds. (2019). Africa’s mineral fortune: the science and politics of mining and sustainable development. Routledge Studies of the Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development, Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429467424
2019
Book Chapter
Introduction
Ali, Saleem H. and Sturman, Kathryn (2019). Introduction. Africa’s mineral fortune: the science and politics of mining and sustainable development. (pp. 1-6) edited by Saleem H. Ali, Kathryn Sturman and Nina Collins. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429467424-1
2019
Other Outputs
Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st Century: Gearing extractive industries towards sustainable development
Ayuk, E.T., Pedro, A.M., Ekins, P., Gatune, J., Milligan, B., Oberle, B., Christmann, P., Ali, S., Kumar, S.V., Bringezu, S., Acquatella, J., Bernaudat, L., Bodouroglou, C., Brooks, S., Burgii Bonanomi, E., Clement, J., Collins, N., Davis, K., Davy, A., Dawkins, K., Dom, A., Eslamishoar, F., Franks, D.M., Hamor, T., Jensen, D., Lahiri-Dutt, K., Petersen, I. and Sanders, A.R.D (2019). Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st Century: Gearing extractive industries towards sustainable development. Geneva, Switzerland: International Resources Panel. United Nations Environment Program.
2019
Book Chapter
Conclusion: a multifaceted fortune
Sturman, Kathryn and Ali, Saleem H. (2019). Conclusion: a multifaceted fortune. Africa’s mineral fortune: the science and politics of mining and sustainable development. (pp. 302-304) edited by Saleem H. Ali, Kathryn Sturman and Nina Collins. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429467424-23
2019
Journal Article
Environmental cooperation in conflict zones: riparian infrastructure at the Armenian–Turkish border
Altingoz, Mehmet and Ali, Saleem H. (2019). Environmental cooperation in conflict zones: riparian infrastructure at the Armenian–Turkish border. Journal of Environment and Development, 28 (3), 309-335. doi: 10.1177/1070496519859680
2018
Journal Article
Mining and biodiversity: key issues and research needs in conservation science
Sonter, Laura J., Ali, Saleem H. and Watson, James E. M. (2018). Mining and biodiversity: key issues and research needs in conservation science. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285 (1892) 20181926, 20181926. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1926
2018
Journal Article
The materials science imperative in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals
Ali, Saleem H. (2018). The materials science imperative in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Materials, 17 (12), 1052-1053. doi: 10.1038/s41563-018-0228-9
2018
Journal Article
Pollution and economic development: an empirical research review
Ali, Saleem and Puppim de Oliveira, Jose Antonio (2018). Pollution and economic development: an empirical research review. Environmental Research Letters, 13 (12) 123003, 123003. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aaeea7
2018
Journal Article
Environmental peacebuilding in South Asia: establishing consensus on hydroelectric projects in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) Basin
Huda, Mirza Sadaqat and Ali, Saleem H. (2018). Environmental peacebuilding in South Asia: establishing consensus on hydroelectric projects in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) Basin. Geoforum, 96, 160-171. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.08.015
2018
Journal Article
Chinese migrant perceptions of Africans: understanding Confucian reflexive politics in Southern Africa
Petersen, Micah and Ali, Saleem (2018). Chinese migrant perceptions of Africans: understanding Confucian reflexive politics in Southern Africa. Social Sciences, 7 (10) 172, 172. doi: 10.3390/socsci7100172
2018
Journal Article
Extracting at the borders: negotiating political and ecological geographies of movement in mineral frontiers
Ali, Saleem H. (2018). Extracting at the borders: negotiating political and ecological geographies of movement in mineral frontiers. Sustainable Development, 26 (5), 481-490. doi: 10.1002/sd.1893
2018
Journal Article
Mining, land restoration and sustainable development in isolated islands: an industrial ecology perspective on extractive transitions on Nauru
Clifford, Martin J., Ali, Saleem H. and Matsubae, Kazuyo (2018). Mining, land restoration and sustainable development in isolated islands: an industrial ecology perspective on extractive transitions on Nauru. Ambio, 48 (4), 397-408. doi: 10.1007/s13280-018-1075-2
2018
Journal Article
Estimating the impact of China's export policy on tin prices: a mode decomposition counterfactual analysis method
Zhu, Yongguang, Xu, Deyi, Cheng, Jinhua and Ali, Saleem Hassan (2018). Estimating the impact of China's export policy on tin prices: a mode decomposition counterfactual analysis method. Resources Policy, 59, 250-264. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.07.012
2018
Journal Article
Utilizing remote sensing and big data to quantify conflict intensity: The Arab Spring as a case study
Levin, Noam, Ali, Saleem and Crandall, David (2018). Utilizing remote sensing and big data to quantify conflict intensity: The Arab Spring as a case study. Applied Geography, 94, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2018.03.001
2018
Journal Article
Peace with Hunger: Colombia's Checkered Experience with Post-Conflict Sustainable Community Development in Emerald-Mining Regions
Franco, Isabel B., de Oliveira, Jose A. Puppim and Ali, Saleem H. (2018). Peace with Hunger: Colombia's Checkered Experience with Post-Conflict Sustainable Community Development in Emerald-Mining Regions. Sustainability, 10 (2) 504, 1-17. doi: 10.3390/su10020504
2018
Book
Extracting innovations: mining, energy, and technological change in the digital age
Martin J. Clifford, Robert K. Perrons, Saleem H. Ali and Tim A. Grice eds. (2018). Extracting innovations: mining, energy, and technological change in the digital age. Boca Raton, FL USA: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/b22353
2018
Journal Article
Blockchain, chain of custody and trace elements: an overview of tracking and traceability opportunities in the gem industry
Cartier, Laurent E., Ali, Saleem H. and Krzemnicki, Michael S. (2018). Blockchain, chain of custody and trace elements: an overview of tracking and traceability opportunities in the gem industry. Journal of Gemmology, 36 (3), 212-227. doi: 10.15506/JoG.2018.36.3.212
Supervision
Availability
- Honorary Professor Saleem Ali is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Completed supervision
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Environmental rights and extractive industries in Canada and Argentina: a comparative constitutional analysis
Principal Advisor
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
An Inquiry into the Economic Commonwealth of Mineral Resources: Does Ownership Matter?
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Shabbir Ahmad, Associate Professor Kathryn Sturman
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Transnational Energy Projects as Mechanisms of Regional Cooperation in South Asia: Addressing Political, Security and Environmental Challenges
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt McDonald
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Opportunities and challenges for women's empowerment in the gemstone value chain in Madagascar and Thailand
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Liesch, Professor Martie-Louise Verreynne, Associate Professor Kathryn Sturman
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Urban Mining and Circular Economy Transition in African Cities: The case of Luanda
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lynda Lawson
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Government-managed Resettlement in Vietnam: Structure, Participation and Impoverishment Risks in the Case of the Thach Khe Iron Ore Mine
Associate Advisor
Media
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