John D. Cooper | Director of Policy and Research
Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, Sierra Leone

Dr. John D. Cooper is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in industrial engineering, mining policy and research, geographic information systems, and information technology management.
He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Trident University in the United States and a Master's in Information and Communication Technology from Agder University in Norway. His career began in Oslo, Norway, as a research engineer before he moved on to supervise several projects in the United States, including roles with the US government and private organizations.
Currently, he serves as the Director of Policy and Research at the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, where he provides strategic guidance, represents the Ministry in negotiations, supervises key units, and fosters research collaborations.
Additionally, he holds a senior lecturing position at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, serves as a board member at the National Land Commission, Sierra Leone, and advises the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) as a technical expert.
Dr. Cooper is an esteemed member of various professional societies; including the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM), the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES), the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME)-USA, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)-USA, the Norwegian Petroleum Society (NPS), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)-USA. He also served as President of the Engineering Society at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.