Group overview

The Macro and International Economics research group is primarily concerned with four (4) broad topics: 

1. The effects and optimal design of fiscal and monetary policies.
2. The relations between historical and institutional factors as well as economic growth and development.
3. The effects of economic integration, causes and consequences of trade between countries/territories, firm international trade activities, determinants of productivity as well as impacts of trade policies.
4. Tourist behaviour, tourism demand and supply, sustainable tourism, determinants of bilateral tourism flows, and tourism development.

Group members 

Dr Wing Leong TEO

Most of Wing Leong’s research involves the use of Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) models to evaluate the nature of business cycles, inflation dynamics, asset price dynamics, as well as the optimal design of monetary and fiscal policies in both closed economy and open economy settings. Wing Leong also evaluates how international trade affects economic growth and development. 

Subfields: Monetary Economics and International Finance. 

Dr Luke Okafor  

Dr Luke Okafor’s research focuses on the intersection of international trade, digital transformation, tourism economics, development process, energy economics, education economics, and industrial organisation with a specific focus on how firms and industries respond to globalisation and shocks. He also investigates the links between energy poverty and socio-economic outcomes, climate change and growth, renewable energy, and socio-economic outcomes as well as COVID-19 effects on firms, industries, and economies. 

Subfields: International Economics, Tourism Economics, Energy Economics, Industrial Economics, Applied Economics, and Education Economics

Dr Mahmood Ur-Rahman

Mahmood is interested in a wide range of topics in economics such as macroeconomics, international economics, development economics, monetary economics, and financial economics. He focuses particularly on issues that relate to macroeconomic policy effectiveness, macroeconomic response of positive and negative shocks, influence of financial development in growth and development and how financial literacy can contribute to this process.

Subfields: Financial Economics, Development Economics, Monetary Economics, International Economics, Energy Economics.

Group overview

The Energy and Sustainability research group supports sustainable development through research output and pedagogy as well as numerous collaborations with external academic institutions, policy makers, non-governmental organisations, and industry. The research group primarily focuses on three core themes: 

1. Energy and emissions modelling as well as natural resources economics.
2. Social, economic, and policy aspects of environmental management. 
3. Cleaner production, efficiency, and sustainability.
4. Energy poverty and socio-economic outcomes

Group members 

Dr Luke Okafor  

Dr Luke Okafor’s research focuses on the intersection of international trade, digital transformation, tourism economics, development process, energy economics, education economics, and industrial organisation with a specific focus on how firms and industries respond to globalisation and shocks. He also investigates the links between energy poverty and socio-economic outcomes, climate change and growth, renewable energy, and socio-economic outcomes as well as COVID-19 effects on firms, industries, and economies. 

Subfields: International Economics, Tourism Economics, Energy Economics, Industrial Economics, Applied Economics, and Education Economics

Dr Mahmood Ur-Rahman

Mahmood is interested in a wide range of topics in economics such as macroeconomics, international economics, development economics, monetary economics, and financial economics. He focuses particularly on issues that relate to macroeconomic policy effectiveness, macroeconomic response of positive and negative shocks, influence of financial development in growth and development and how financial literacy can contribute to this process.

Subfields: Financial Economics, Development Economics, Monetary Economics, International Economics, Energy Economics.

Group overview

The Development and Labour Economics research group is primarily concerned with four (4) broad topics:  

1. The role of both microeconomic and macroeconomic factors in improving economic and social outcomes in developing countries. 
2. The role of decisions by households, firms, and governments, the effects of development policies, and the consequences of rising income in developing countries.
3. The distributional outcomes of earnings and employment among households and individuals due to labour market shocks and policy responses.
4. The structural transformation of occupations and worker tasks due to automation and other advances in digital technologies. 

Group members 

Dr Siew Yee Lau

Siew Yee’s research primarily follows the micro end of development economics that breaks big development questions into smaller ones. She is interested in questions of how public policies and social programmes empower micro- and small firms, women, poor households, and workers in developing countries. She also studies the units from other perspectives such as whether personal attributes, behaviour, and financial literacy matter in their decision making. She uses mostly micro level data and quasi-experimental methods to answer development questions. Her next step in research is exploring macro-development topics to better understand both sides of development economics.

Subfields: Development Economics and Business Economics.    

Dr. Rasyad Parinduri

Rasyad does research in labour economics, industrial organisation, and development economics using applied micro-econometrics: He examines how policies and market changes affect development, competition, labour outcomes, and trade. In a working paper, for example, he investigates whether having English as the medium of instruction affects labour outcomes later in life. In another, he examines whether land tenure security improves farmers' productivity.

Subfields: Labour Economics and Industrial Organisation

Dr. Saizi Xiao

Saizi’s research pursuits span a diverse range of topics within the field of economics, encompassing development economics (e.g. temporary basic income, industry sustainability), labor market dynamics (e.g. returns to education), and gender studies (e.g. gender inequality) related themes within the context of East Asia and Southeast Asia. Her expertise extends to intricate analyses of micro-level economic patterns, utilizing advanced econometric techniques. Additionally, she explores the transformative impact of the digital economy on various socioeconomic aspects such as individual’s consumption behavior and financial wellbeing.  

Subfields: Development Economics, Labor Economics, Digital Economy 

Dr Mahmood Ur-Rahman

Mahmood is interested in a wide range of topics in economics such as macroeconomics, international economics, development economics, monetary economics, and financial economics. He focuses particularly on issues that relate to macroeconomic policy effectiveness, macroeconomic response of positive and negative shocks, influence of financial development in growth and development and how financial literacy can contribute to this process.

Subfields: Financial Economics, Development Economics, Monetary Economics, International Economics, Energy Economics.