Mining company engagement with universities: A CSR approach

The academic literature has focused on understanding mining companies' definition and management of stakeholders, with a focus on indigenous and local communities, and non-government organisations. Although universities are described as important stakeholders in the CSR (corporate social responsibility) documentation of mining companies, mining company engagement with universities is under-researched. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring how, and why, mining companies engage with universities through an exploration of mining company engagement with universities in Chile. This thesis unveils the complexity of mining company engagement with universities, as well as the geographical dimensions of this engagement. This thesis ratifies the academic literature that describes mining companies' CSR practice as a public relations exercise that seeks to legitimise mining operations at different scales.