Madeline R Young

Madeline R. Young-Touré is a university lecturer, doctoral researcher, and ESG specialist affiliated with the University of Exeter, where she serves as an associate lecturer and interdepartmental PhD researcher at the Camborne School of Mines and the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, linked to the Exeter Centre for Research on Africa.

The current title of her PhD research in-progress is: "Mining, coloniality, and the failures of 'responsible' extraction: A study of socio-cultural harms by extractivism in Africa"

Her academic career includes Senior Lecturing at Anglia Ruskin University, Guest Senior Lecturing at University College London (UCL), Associate Lecturer at University of Surrey, and Associate Lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has lectured in mining social sustainability, international relations, political science, economics, multidisciplinary intercultural studies, and international business decision-making. Her doctoral research focuses on weaknesses in social impact mitigation and remediation linked to corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the mining sector, particularly in Africa. She received the Natural Resources Forum and London Stock Exchange's joint 2023 ESG Champion Award for her work. Her work at University of Exeter since January 2024 has led to her being awarded four international research grants and private philanthropist academic scholarship in collaboration with UK and EU universities. 

Professionally, Young-Toure has held executive roles in government relations, CSR, and compliance across four continents. She has worked with mining companies in the Republic of Congo, served as Corporate Integrity and Compliance Manager at Ernst & Young, and contributed to think tanks such as Chatham House and the FRIDE Foundation, publishing on EU-Africa investment ethics and natural resource governance.

She holds a Master’s in International Relations, a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Industrial Conflict Studies. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a multilingual keynote speaker with frequent appearances in international media, academic forums, and government events.

In addition to her academic and corporate work, she has served as Director and Trustee of UK-based charities, a Board Advisor to eNubia and UniHead (African Higher Education Development), a Non-Executive Director of the British Awards for African Development (BRAAD Awards), and she serves as a Civil Society Representative on the UK Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board, led by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.