Saleem Ali
Encyclopedia
Dr. Prof. Saleem H. Ali (born, 1973) is a Pakistani American
scholar who is Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont
's Rubenstein School of Natural Resources, and the director of the Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security
. He is known for his work on environmental conflict resolution, particularly in the extractive industries and was profiled in Forbes magazine in September, 2009 as "The Alchemist." Dr. Ali's latest book is titled "Treasures of the Earth: Need Greed and a Sustainable Future" (Yale University Press, October, 2009). In May 2010, he was also chosen by National Geographic as an "emerging explorer" with a profile appearing in the June 2010 issue of National Geographic Magazine
. In March 2011, he was also selected by the World Economic Forum
as a "Young Global Leader."
’s Watson Institute for International Studies
and on the visiting faculty for the United Nations University for Peace (Costa Rica
), where he teaches a course on Indigenous Environment and Development Conflicts. Much of his empirical research has focused on environmental conflicts in the mineral sector. In September 2007, he was chosen as one of eight "revolutionary minds" by Seed magazine. Dr. Ali is also a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio
and a columnist for Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper and a former columnist for the Daily Times and has contributed op-ed pieces also for notable international newspapers such as The International Herald Tribune and the The Boston Globe
.
Dr. Ali is also a member of the World Commission on Protected areas and the IUCN Taskforce on Transboundary Conservation. He has also been involved in promoting environmental education in madrasah
s and using techniques from environmental planning to study the rise of these institutions in his ethnic homeland of Pakistan
, under a grant from the United States Institute of Peace
. In much of his research efforts, Dr. Ali involves a multi-media component, often involving his students in making video documentaries of their empirical work. From 2005 to 2008, he received two grants from the Tiffany & Co.
Foundation to investigate the environmental and social impact of gemstone and gold mining. Two video documentaries were also produced through this effort and are available for viewing online. He is also completing a report on oil and gas pipelines as a source of cooperation that was researched while based at the Brookings Institution
research center in Doha, Qatar in 2009.
Prior to embarking on an academic career, Dr. Ali worked as an environmental health and safety professional at General Electric. He also served as a consultant for the Environmental Protection Agency
, Fish and Wildlife Service
, and Health Canada
. Yet others of his projects included a mining impact prospectus for the Crow Nation
and research assistance to Cultural Survival
.
A professional mediator
, he has also conducted workshop
s on consensus-building for private and public interests. In addition to that, he has been involved in conducting peer reviews of research publications for the World Bank
, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Woodrow Wilson Center
, Yale University Press
, the Natural Resources Forum, and several scholarly journals.
, a Baker Foundation Research Fellowship at Harvard Business School
, and a parliamentary internship at the British House of Commons
. He has taught courses on environmental planning, conflict resolution, industrial ecology, research methods and technical writing. Professor Ali earned a doctorate
in environmental planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, a master's degree (M.E.S.) in environmental law and policy from Yale University
, and a bachelor's degree in chemistry
from Tufts University
.
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
scholar who is Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
's Rubenstein School of Natural Resources, and the director of the Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security
Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security
The Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security is a transdisciplinary research center, based at the University of Vermont , aimed at the study and practice of techniques that resolve destructive environmental conflicts, and to using ecological processes as tools of peace-building. IEDs was...
. He is known for his work on environmental conflict resolution, particularly in the extractive industries and was profiled in Forbes magazine in September, 2009 as "The Alchemist." Dr. Ali's latest book is titled "Treasures of the Earth: Need Greed and a Sustainable Future" (Yale University Press, October, 2009). In May 2010, he was also chosen by National Geographic as an "emerging explorer" with a profile appearing in the June 2010 issue of National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
. In March 2011, he was also selected by the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
as a "Young Global Leader."
Research Work
Dr. Ali's research focuses on the causes and consequences of environmental conflicts and how ecological factors can promote peace. He is also on the adjunct faculty of Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
’s Watson Institute for International Studies
Watson Institute for International Studies
The Watson Institute for International Studies is a center for the analysis of international issues at Brown University, focusing mainly on global security and political economy and society. Its faculty span a wide range of disciplines, including, anthropology, economics, political science, and...
and on the visiting faculty for the United Nations University for Peace (Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
), where he teaches a course on Indigenous Environment and Development Conflicts. Much of his empirical research has focused on environmental conflicts in the mineral sector. In September 2007, he was chosen as one of eight "revolutionary minds" by Seed magazine. Dr. Ali is also a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio
Vermont Public Radio
-WVPR:-WRVT:-VPR Classical:Since 2007, VPR has broadcast classical music on a separate network. The main station is WOXR , which is licensed to Schuyler Falls, New York and serves the Burlington/Plattsburgh area....
and a columnist for Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper and a former columnist for the Daily Times and has contributed op-ed pieces also for notable international newspapers such as The International Herald Tribune and the The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
.
Dr. Ali is also a member of the World Commission on Protected areas and the IUCN Taskforce on Transboundary Conservation. He has also been involved in promoting environmental education in madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
s and using techniques from environmental planning to study the rise of these institutions in his ethnic homeland of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, under a grant from the United States Institute of Peace
United States Institute of Peace
The United States Institute of Peace was created by Congress as a non-partisan, federal institution that works to prevent or end violent conflict around the world...
. In much of his research efforts, Dr. Ali involves a multi-media component, often involving his students in making video documentaries of their empirical work. From 2005 to 2008, he received two grants from the Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
Foundation to investigate the environmental and social impact of gemstone and gold mining. Two video documentaries were also produced through this effort and are available for viewing online. He is also completing a report on oil and gas pipelines as a source of cooperation that was researched while based at the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
research center in Doha, Qatar in 2009.
Prior to embarking on an academic career, Dr. Ali worked as an environmental health and safety professional at General Electric. He also served as a consultant for the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
, and Health Canada
Health Canada
Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada...
. Yet others of his projects included a mining impact prospectus for the Crow Nation
Crow Nation
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
and research assistance to Cultural Survival
Cultural Survival
Cultural Survival is a nonprofit group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA which is dedicated to defending the human rights of indigenous peoples. Their stated mandate is to promote the rights, voices and visions, of indigenous people. For 37 years, Cultural Survival has partnered with...
.
A professional mediator
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
, he has also conducted workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s on consensus-building for private and public interests. In addition to that, he has been involved in conducting peer reviews of research publications for the World Bank
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Woodrow Wilson Center
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
, Yale University Press
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
, the Natural Resources Forum, and several scholarly journals.
Education
His past research appointments and internships include field work at the Centre for Rainforest Studies in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, a Baker Foundation Research Fellowship at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
, and a parliamentary internship at the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He has taught courses on environmental planning, conflict resolution, industrial ecology, research methods and technical writing. Professor Ali earned a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in environmental planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, a master's degree (M.E.S.) in environmental law and policy from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and a bachelor's degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
.
External Research Project Links
- National Geographic Profile of Saleem H. Ali
- Forbes Profile of Saleem H. Ali
- Saleem Ali's web site at UVM with links to online articles
- Brookings Institution profile
- Links to list of regular Daily Times articles authored by Dr. Ali
- Tropical Gold: Reversal of Fortune in Fiji -- research site and documentary
- Gems and the Environment
- Madrassa Research in Pakistan
- Vermont Mining
- Siachen Peace Park project
- Environmental Conflict Resolution Research Library