Submitted by Youjin B. Chung on
Global demand for rare earth elements (REE) is rising rapidly. Rare earth metals and their compounds are used in a broad range of applications, such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, medical devices, and military defense systems. To counter China’s dominance in REE production, many national governments and corporations are looking to diversify their supply not only within their domestic territories, but also in so-called frontier regions like eastern and southern Africa that are perceived to abound in untapped critical mineral resources. Observers have described the region as a hotbed of critical minerals mining, yet concerns abound about the social, ethical, and environmental implications of these extractive investments.
Tanzania has been a key target of such investments in recent years. In April 2023, the government of Tanzania issued a special mining license to an Australian company, Peak Rare Earths, for the production of REE. The mining project, which is expected to cost approximately USD 320 million, is the first of its kind in the nation and will be sited in a primarily farming village in southwest Tanzania. Though the construction is yet to begin, the company is publicly traded in the Australian stock market and actively mobilizing funds from the International Finance Corporation, private equity firms, and other individual and institutional investors.
Professor Chung is seeking an undergraduate student who will assist her in conducting secondary research and analysis of publicly available documents on the new mining company/project in Tanzania.
- Conduct secondary research, collecting materials across various sources, such as the corporate website and documents, Tanzanian newspapers (e.g. The Citizen, Daily News, The Guardian), global industry magazines and websites (e.g. Global Mining Review, Mining Weekly, African Mining Market, Mining Technology), government documents, and social media posts, if applicable.
- Compile and annotate sources in a shared reference management software, Zotero
- Produce a final report that includes, among others: a) a timeline of the project and its evolution over time; b) the project’s main objectives and goals; c) map of key actors involved in financing, implementing, and governing the project; and d) important themes and patterns emerging from secondary research.
- Have taken at least one course in a related subject area (e.g. Gender and Environment, Political Ecology, Political Economy of Development, Environmental Justice, Climate Justice)
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational and communication skills
- Intellectual curiosity and ability to work independently
- Prior experience with secondary research and familiarity with Zotero is desired but not required