Umar Farouk Ahmed is a Ph.D. Researcher at the Laboratoire d'Économie d'Orléans (LÉO), under the Chair of Environmental and Mineral Economics (CEME) at the University of Orléans (France) under the supervision of Chahir Zaki. His doctoral research, entitled Critical Minerals Supply Chains and Sustainable Development, examines how the global expansion of critical mineral production and trade affects the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social development, and environmental sustainability. More broadly, his work explores the role of institutions, governance, and global value chains in transforming critical mineral wealth into sustainable development outcomes. He has previously worked as a supply chain specialist in the oil and gas industry.