![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
2015
Journal Article
‘Religious identity and coal development in Pakistan’: ecology, land rights and the politics of exclusion
Makki, Muhammad, Ali, Saleem H. and Van Vuuren, Kitty (2015). ‘Religious identity and coal development in Pakistan’: ecology, land rights and the politics of exclusion. The Extractive Industries and Society, 2 (2), 276-286. doi: 10.1016/j.exis.2015.02.002
2015
Journal Article
Precious metals: balancing the growing demand for rare earth minerals with sustainable mining practices
Ali, Saleem H. (2015). Precious metals: balancing the growing demand for rare earth minerals with sustainable mining practices. Science, 347 (6227), 1209-1209. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa4546
2015
Journal Article
Local sustainability and gender ratio: evaluating the impacts of mining and tourism on sustainable development in Yunnan, China
Huang, Ganlin and Ali, Saleem H. (2015). Local sustainability and gender ratio: evaluating the impacts of mining and tourism on sustainable development in Yunnan, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12 (1), 927-939. doi: 10.3390/ijerph120100927
2015
Book Chapter
Connecting China through “Creative Diplomacy”: Greenland, Australia, and climate cooperation in polar regions
DeGeorges, Damien and Ali, Saleem H. (2015). Connecting China through “Creative Diplomacy”: Greenland, Australia, and climate cooperation in polar regions. Diplomacy on ice: energy and the environment in the Arctic and Antarctic. (pp. 151-160) edited by Rebecca H. Pincus and Saleem H. Ali. New Haven, CT, United States: Yale University Press.
2015
Book
Responsible mining in Mongolia: enhancing positive engagement
Cane, Isabel, Schleger, Ashlee, Ali, Saleem, Kemp, Deanna, McIntyre, Neill, Lechner, Alex, McKenna, Phillip, Dalaibuyan, Byambajav, Bulovic, Nena and Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala (2015). Responsible mining in Mongolia: enhancing positive engagement. St Lucia, QLD, Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland.
2015
Book Chapter
Pakistan’s ecological precipice: An opportunity for redefining security
Ali, H. Saleem and Nawaz, Shuja (2015). Pakistan’s ecological precipice: An opportunity for redefining security. In pursuit of prosperity: U.S foreign policy in an era of natural resource scarcity. (pp. 280-300) edited by David Reed. New York, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315751375
2015
Book
Environmental diplomacy: negotiating more effective global agreements
Susskind, Lawrence, Ali, Saleem H. and Hamid, Zakri Abdul (2015). Environmental diplomacy: negotiating more effective global agreements. 2nd ed. New York, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199397976.001.0001
2015
Book Chapter
A cold prelude to a warming world
Ali, Saleem H. and Pincus, Rebecca (2015). A cold prelude to a warming world. Diplomacy on ice: energy and the environment in the Arctic and Antarctic. (pp. 1-10) edited by Rebecca H. Pincus and Saleem H. Ali. New Haven, CT, United States: Yale University Press.
2015
Book Chapter
Power and peace: how nations can go nuclear without weapons
Ali, Saleem H. (2015). Power and peace: how nations can go nuclear without weapons. Politics, policy and the chance of change. (pp. 22-29) edited by John Watson. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Melbourne University Press.
2015
Book
Diplomacy on ice : energy and the environment in the Arctic and Antarctic
Rebecca H. Pincus, Saleem H. Ali and James Gustave Speth eds. (2015). Diplomacy on ice : energy and the environment in the Arctic and Antarctic. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press.
2014
Journal Article
The ethics of space and time in mining projects: matching technical tools with social performance
Ali, Saleem H. (2014). The ethics of space and time in mining projects: matching technical tools with social performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 135 (4), 645-651. doi: 10.1007/s10551-014-2379-1
2014
Journal Article
Managing transboundary wetlands: the Ramsar Convention as a means of ecological diplomacy
Griffin, Pamela J. and Ali, Saleem H. (2014). Managing transboundary wetlands: the Ramsar Convention as a means of ecological diplomacy. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 4 (3), 230-239. doi: 10.1007/s13412-014-0173-0
2014
Journal Article
Rare earths supply chains: current status, constraints and opportunities
Golev, Artem, Scott, Margaretha, Erskine, Peter D., Ali, Saleem H. and Ballantyne, Grant R. (2014). Rare earths supply chains: current status, constraints and opportunities. Resources Policy, 41 (1), 52-59. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2014.03.004
2014
Other Outputs
Russia and Australia should forge a pragmatic relationship
Ali, Saleem H. (2014, 05 29). Russia and Australia should forge a pragmatic relationship The World Post
2014
Other Outputs
Nigeria's peace path: can lessons from the oil-rich south defeat Boko Haram?
Ali, Saleem H. (2014, 05 19). Nigeria's peace path: can lessons from the oil-rich south defeat Boko Haram? The World Post
2014
Journal Article
Conflict translates environmental and social risk into business costs
Franks, Daniel M., Davis, Rachel, Bebbington, Anthony J., Ali, Saleem H., Kemp, Deanna and Scurrah, Martin (2014). Conflict translates environmental and social risk into business costs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 2014 (21), 7576-7581. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1405135111
2014
Other Outputs
On improving tribal-corporate relations in the mining sector: a white paper on strategies for both sides of the table
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, Ali, Saleem H., Jorgensen, Miriam, Kalt, Joseph P., Krakoff, Sarah, McInnis, Anthony, Medford, Amy Besaw and Youpee-Roll, April (2014). On improving tribal-corporate relations in the mining sector: a white paper on strategies for both sides of the table. Cambridge, MA, USA: The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.
2014
Journal Article
Conflict assessment in energy infrastructure siting: prospects for consensus building in the Northern Pass transmission line project
Kier, Laura S. and Ali, Saleem H. (2014). Conflict assessment in energy infrastructure siting: prospects for consensus building in the Northern Pass transmission line project. Negotiation Journal, 30 (2), 169-189. doi: 10.1111/nejo.12054
2014
Other Outputs
Analysis of mining development in Baja California Sur and the potential effects on human development and sustainability
Ali, Saleem, Parra, Cristian and Reategui, Cecilia (2014). Analysis of mining development in Baja California Sur and the potential effects on human development and sustainability. St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland.
2014
Journal Article
Rare earths industry in 2013-2014: diversifying supply sources
Golev, Artem, Cornish, Gillian and Ali, Saleem (2014). Rare earths industry in 2013-2014: diversifying supply sources. Australian Resources and Investment, 8 (1), 166-169.
Funding
Past funding
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, Dr Vlado Vivoda
-
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
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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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