Asad Islam’s Major Research and Publications

Asad Islam is a prominent Bangladeshi-Australian development economist and Professor of Economics at Monash University, Australia[1][2]. He serves as Director of the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES) and is a Chief Investigator for the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW)[1][3].

Early Life and Education

Asad Islam was born and raised in rural Bangladesh, where he experienced firsthand the challenges of poverty and inequality that would later shape his research focus[4][5]. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in Bangladesh before pursuing further education abroad:

⦁ Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honors) and Master of Social Sciences in Economics from the University of Dhaka[6]

⦁ Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada (2001-2003)[6]

⦁ Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Monash University, Australia (2006-2009)[6]

His doctoral thesis received the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal in 2009, awarded for the best thesis of the year in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University[6].

Academic Career

Early Career

Before joining Monash University, Islam gained valuable experience in development economics:

⦁ Lecturer in Economics at the University of Dhaka (2001)[6]

⦁ Research Associate (2001-2005) and Research Fellow (2006-2009) at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Bangladesh's leading think tank[6]

Monash University Career Progression

Islam's career at Monash University demonstrates steady academic advancement:

⦁ Lecturer (2009-2011)[6]

⦁ Senior Lecturer (2012-2014)[6]

⦁ Associate Professor (2015-2019)[6]

⦁ Professor (2019-present)[1]

⦁ Director of CDES (2019-present)[1]

Research Focus and Contributions

Core Research Areas

Islam's research spans multiple dimensions of development economics[1][2], with particular emphasis on:

⦁ Early childhood development and primary education

⦁ Health interventions and maternal health

⦁ Gender equality and women's empowerment

⦁ Microfinance and financial inclusion

⦁ Social networks and technology adoption

⦁ Food security and agricultural development

⦁ Risk-sharing mechanisms in households

Methodological Expertise

Islam is particularly renowned for his expertise in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and field experiments[7][8]. His research emphasizes the importance of rigorous experimental design in evaluating development interventions.

Geographic Scope

His research spans multiple countries across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Fiji, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Tanzania, and Cambodia[1][2].

Publications and Academic Impact

Year-by-Year Publications

2024 Publications:

⦁ "Telementoring and homeschooling during school closures: A randomised experiment in rural bangladesh" - The Economic Journal (49 citations)[9]

⦁ "Improving women's mental health during a pandemic" - American Economic Journal: Applied Economics[9]

⦁ "Forced displacement, mental health, and child development: Evidence from Rohingya refugees" - Working Paper[10]

2022 Publications:

⦁ "Experimental evidence on adoption and impact of the system of rice intensification" - American Journal of Agricultural Economics (46 citations)[9]

⦁ "Elective surgery system strengthening: development, measurement, and validation of the surgical preparedness index across 1632 hospitals in 119 countries" - The Lancet (38 citations)[9]

2021 Publications:

⦁ "Stigma and misconceptions in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic: A field experiment in India" - Social Science & Medicine (92 citations)[9]

⦁ "Determinants and dynamics of food insecurity during COVID-19 in rural Bangladesh" - Food Policy (90 citations)[9]

⦁ "Food insecurity and mental health of women during COVID-19: Evidence from a developing country" - PLoS One (48 citations)[9]

Thematic Classification of Research

Microfinance Research (4 major papers):

⦁ "Health shocks and consumption smoothing in rural households: Does microcredit have a role to play?" - Journal of Development Economics (408 citations)[9]

⦁ "Does microfinance change informal lending in village economies? Evidence from Bangladesh" - Journal of Banking & Finance (135 citations)[9]

⦁ "Medium‐and long‐term participation in microcredit: An evaluation using a new panel dataset from Bangladesh" - American Journal of Agricultural Economics (99 citations)[9]

⦁ "Heterogeneous effects of microcredit: Evidence from large-scale programs in Bangladesh" - Journal of Asian Economics (47 citations)[9]

Education and Gender Research:

⦁ "Education, marriage, and fertility: Long-term evidence from a female stipend program in Bangladesh" - Economic Development and Cultural Change (153 citations)[9]

⦁ "Child labor and schooling responses to access to microcredit in rural Bangladesh" - Economic Inquiry (146 citations)[9]

⦁ "Parent–teacher meetings and student outcomes: Evidence from a developing country" - European Economic Review (69 citations)[9]

Health and COVID-19 Research:

⦁ Multiple papers focusing on mental health, food security, and pandemic responses in developing countries[9]

Migration and Demographics:

⦁ "Age at migration, language proficiency, and socioeconomic outcomes: evidence from Australia" - Demography (181 citations)[9]

⦁ "Immigration unemployment relationship: The evidence from Canada" - Australian Economic Papers (128 citations)[9]

Research Collaborations and Networks

Key Academic Collaborators

Monash University Network:

⦁ Russell Smyth (Department of Economics, Monash University): 6 joint publications focusing on migration, health economics, and microfinance[9]

⦁ Liang Choon Wang (Associate Professor, Monash University): 3 joint publications on conflict studies, education technology, and health[9]

⦁ Pushkar Maitra (Professor of Economics, Monash University): Collaboration on microfinance and health economics[9]

International Collaborations:

⦁ John A. List (University of Chicago): High-profile collaboration on field experiments, behavioral economics, and early childhood education[11]

⦁ Marcel Fafchamps (Stanford University): Research on social networks and experimental economics[10]

⦁ Christopher Barrett (Cornell University): Agricultural economics and technology adoption research[9]

⦁ Youjin Hahn (Yonsei University): Education policy and gender economics[9]

Development Research Partners:

⦁ Debayan Pakrashi: Frequent collaborator on COVID-19 research, food security, and agriculture (4 joint papers)[9]

⦁ Abu Siddique: Key research partner on education, COVID-19, refugee studies, and mental health (4 joint papers)[9]

⦁ Tabassum Rahman: Regular collaborator on COVID-19, mental health, and gender issues (4 joint papers)[9]

Institutional Networks

Primary Affiliation:

⦁ Monash University: Professor and Director of CDES[1]

⦁ Australian Research Council: Chief Investigator for Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women[1]

International Partnerships:

⦁ Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS): Former Research Fellow, ongoing collaboration[6]

⦁ North South University: Regular visiting researcher and lecturer

⦁ University of Chicago: Research collaboration with John A. List on early childhood development RCTs

Funding and Grants

Islam has successfully secured substantial research funding from prestigious international organizations[1][4]:

Major Funding Sources:

⦁ Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Over $2 million since 2022[7]

⦁ Australian Research Council (ARC): Multiple Discovery grants, DECRA Fellowship (2012-2015), Centre of Excellence funding[6]

⦁ UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): Major project funding[1]

⦁ International Growth Centre (IGC): Development economics research[1]

⦁ World Bank: Multiple development economics projects[1]

⦁ Asian Development Bank: Research grants[1]

⦁ European Commission: Research funding[1]

⦁ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT/AusAID): Development aid research[1]

Awards and Recognition

Academic Honors

⦁ Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal (2009) - Best thesis in Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University[6]

⦁ Dean's Award for Excellence in Research by Early Career Researcher (2011) - Monash University[6]

⦁ Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow (2012-2015) - Australian Research Council[6]

⦁ Monash Research Accelerator (MRA) Award (2013-2014)[6]

⦁ Dean's Commendation for Research Impact (2016) - Monash University[6]

Professional Recognition

Islam's expertise is recognized through various professional appointments and memberships:

⦁ Chief Investigator - Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW)[1]

⦁ Adjunct Fellow - BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD)[6]

⦁ Coordinator - South Asia Research Network (SARN), Monash University[6]

Professional Service and Memberships

Islam is actively involved in professional organizations[6]:

⦁ American Economic Association

⦁ Canadian Economic Association

⦁ Econometric Society

⦁ European Economic Association

⦁ Association for Economic and Development Studies on Bangladesh (AEDSB)

He also serves as a GLO Fellow at the Global Labor Organization and contributes to the Economics Observatory as a recognized expert[3][5].

Current Research and Future Directions

Ongoing Projects

Islam continues to lead cutting-edge research in development economics[2][12]:

⦁ Early childhood development interventions in Bangladesh, Uganda, and Tanzania

⦁ Violence against women prevention and response mechanisms

⦁ Technology adoption in agricultural settings

⦁ COVID-19 response and recovery in developing countries

Recent Field Work

⦁ Indonesia (2024): Running focus group discussions for new research projects on violence against women[13]

⦁ Jakarta Workshop (2024): Conducting training on randomized controlled trials and machine learning applications[12]

⦁ Bangladesh (2024): Ongoing field work on early childhood education and parental social networks

Policy Engagement

His research philosophy emphasizes practical policy applications[4]. As he notes, "I want to work on issues that affect people's lives and this position will give me the opportunity to work and engage with the outside world as well as communicating our research to have a stronger impact on the real world"[5].

Personal Background and Motivation

Islam's personal connection to development issues stems from his rural Bangladeshi upbringing[4][5]. He has stated: "I come from a rural area in Bangladesh where there was a lot of poverty and inequality. I am emotionally attached to this job. I am committed to make changes so I hope this new role will allow me to make some changes in the lives of the people who need it"[5].

Academic Impact and Citation Metrics

According to Google Scholar, Islam's work has garnered significant academic attention with over 3,300 citations across his publications[9]. His h-index of 29 and i10-index of 76 demonstrate sustained impact across a broad range of publications[14]. His most cited work, "Health shocks and consumption smoothing in rural households: Does microcredit have a role to play?" has been cited over 400 times[9].

Conclusion

Professor Asad Islam represents a significant voice in contemporary development economics, combining rigorous research methodology with deep practical understanding of development challenges. His extensive body of work, spanning over 15 years, has contributed substantially to our understanding of how interventions in education, health, and financial services can improve outcomes for the world's most vulnerable populations. His leadership of the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability at Monash University positions him to continue making important contributions to both academic knowledge and practical policy solutions in development economics.

For prospective PhD students and researchers interested in development economics, Islam's work demonstrates the importance of methodological rigor, practical relevance, and sustained engagement with policy communities. His research exemplifies how academic scholarship can meaningfully contribute to addressing global challenges of poverty, inequality, and sustainable development.

References

1. "Asadul Islam - Research Profile". Monash University. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

2. "Asad Islam". VoxDev. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

3. "Asadul Islam, Professor, Department of Economics, Monash University". Monash Lens. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

4. "COVID-19: The health and wellbeing concerns of households in Bangladesh". North South University. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

5. "Asad Islam - Economics Observatory". Economics Observatory. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

6. "Interview with Development Economist Asad Islam of Monash University about the challenges of the #coronacrisis for developing economies". Global Labor Organization. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

7. "Asad Islam". International Growth Centre. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

8. "Asad Islam's Post - LinkedIn". LinkedIn. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

9. "Replication probe finds 'statistically improbable data' tied to institute in Bangladesh". Retraction Watch. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

10. "2024 Sustainable Development for Thriving Communities ... - LinkedIn". LinkedIn. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

11. "It's always a pleasure to return to North South University". LinkedIn. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2025.

Note: This revised Wikipedia article excludes any discussion of replication concerns as requested, focusing instead on comprehensive coverage of Professor Asad Islam's academic career, publications organized both chronologically and thematically, detailed collaboration networks, and research contributions to development economics.

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1. https://voxdev.org/asad-islam                

2. https://lens.monash.edu/@asadul-islam    

3. https://www.economicsobservatory.com/asad-islam  

4. https://www.northsouth.edu/assets/cv/Asad Islam_Bio.pdf    

5. https://glabor.org/interview-with-development-economist-asad-islam-of-monash-university-about-the-challenges-of-the-coronacrisis-for-developing-economies/     

6. https://retractionwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/asad-islam-cv.pdf                   

7. https://retractionwatch.com/2025/04/10/replication-probe-finds-statistically-improbable-data-tied-to-institute-in-bangladesh/  

8. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/asad-islam-74a6bb80_register-to-learn-about-practical-challenges-activity-7229668504780599296-TXp5 

9. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0NXsy30AAAAJ                           

10. https://opendata.uni-halle.de/bitstream/1981185920/106795/33/642341605.pdf  

11. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/asad-islam-74a6bb80_its-always-a-pleasure-to-return-to-north-activity-7275912563635208192-Ryuc 

12. http://www.iiitbd.org/partners/  

13. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/asad-islam-74a6bb80_spent-my-last-day-in-indonesia-running-a-activity-7245681082237345792-9VWy 

14. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f591/7a6946dac1f436517ed5ccd5193760913caa.pdf