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Shabbir Ahmad

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Institue of Busines and Economics, The University of Queensland, Australia, The University of Queensland

Shabbir Ahmad completed his PhD in Econometrics at the UQ School of Economics in 2014. He also holds PhD in Economics with specialization in financial economics. His areas of research include efficiency and productivity analysis, environment and sustainability, and financial regulation and governance. He has 15 year's university research and teaching experience in Pakistan and Australia. His areas of research focus on resource and financial sectors performance measurement at micro level. He has devised novel methodologies to measure business growth and innovation, with particular focus on agriculture sector. Currently, he is working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at AUstralian Institute of Business and Economics (AIBE), the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Previously, he held research positions at the Centre of Social responsibility in Mining (CSRM), Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), UQ. Currently, he is leading Australian Centre for International Agriculture (ACIAR) funded project Farmer's capabilities, productivity, and profitability: A case study of smallholders in selected agro-zones in Pakistan". He has delivered numerous projects for international agencies on sustainable development and productivity focused on mining, manufacturing and financial sectors.

His research activities span to both public and private sectors with a focus on social and economic impact assessment. He has been involved in these projects to develop and apply a variety of tools for economic analysis and the resulting policy implications. He is also an Associate of the World Bank-sponsored South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE).

Future of Coal Series

Is coal the only way to deal with energy poverty in developing economies?

Jun 14, 2016 08:30 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Economy

As the world moves to combat climate change, its increasingly doubtful that coal will continue to be a viable energy source, because of its high greenhouse gas emissions. But coal played a vital role in the Industrial...

Economy

European Stocks Slide as Middle East War Fears and Rising Oil Prices Shake Markets

European shares extended their losses on Tuesday as a deepening global equity selloff rattled investors. Mounting concerns over a prolonged Middle East war and a sharp surge in oil prices fueled fears of higher inflation...

Gold Prices Surge for Fourth Day as Middle East Tensions and Strong U.S. Dollar Shape Market

Gold prices extended gains in Asian trading on Tuesday, marking a fourth consecutive session of advances as investors reacted to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Safe-haven demand remained strong,...

S&P Global Warns of Potential Downgrade for Berkshire’s PacifiCorp Over Oregon Wildfire Liabilities

SP Global has warned that it may downgrade PacifiCorp, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned utility, to junk status as mounting liabilities from Oregon wildfire lawsuits threaten its financial stability. The credit rating agency...

South Korea Manufacturing PMI Rises for Third Month on Strong Semiconductor Demand

South Koreas manufacturing sector continued its upward momentum in February, marking a third consecutive month of expansion as semiconductor demand fueled faster factory output. According to the latest SP Global survey,...

RBA Signals Possible March Rate Hike as Energy Risks Threaten Inflation Outlook

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock has signaled that the central bank could raise interest rates again as soon as its March 1718 meeting, even without waiting for first-quarter inflation data....

Politics

U.S. Military Strikes on Iran Complicate Xi-Trump Summit and Expose China’s Energy Risks

The recent U.S. military campaign against Iran has reshaped global geopolitics and placed Chinese President Xi Jinping in a difficult position ahead of a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump is expected...

Trump and Merz Meet at White House Amid Iran Strikes and Trade Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to the White House on Tuesday for high-stakes talks centered on the Iran conflict, U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, rising tariff tensions, and Europes evolving...

Trump Says U.S.-UK Relationship Has Deteriorated After Starmer Hesitates on Iran Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump said the long-standing U.S.-UK relationship has weakened after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially declined to provide full military backing for American strikes against Iran. In an...

Israel Prepares Weeks-Long Military Campaign Against Iran Amid Escalating Air Strikes

Israel has prepared for a potential weeks-long military campaign against Iran, signaling a significant escalation in Middle East tensions. According to Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the...

Trump’s Iran Strikes Spark War Powers Clash in Congress

U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to authorize military strikes on Iran has ignited a heated debate in Congress over presidential war powers and constitutional authority. Republican lawmakers argue that the attack was...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

OpenAI and U.S. Defense Department Update Agreement to Clarify AI Usage Terms

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to update their existing agreement, reinforcing clear boundaries around how OpenAIs technology, including ChatGPT, can...

OpenAI Secures $110 Billion Funding Round at $840 Billion Valuation Ahead of IPO

OpenAI has raised a record-breaking $110 billion in fresh funding, pushing the ChatGPT makers valuation to an impressive $840 billion. The massive investment round, backed by SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, highlights the...

U.S. Deploys Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, F-35 Jets and AI Tools in Operation Epic Fury Against Iran

The United States launched a sweeping military operation against Iranian targets under Operation Epic Fury, deploying advanced weaponry that included Tomahawk cruise missiles, B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 and F/A-18 fighter...

Australia Targets AI Platforms With Strict Age Verification Rules

Australias internet regulator has warned that search engines and app stores could be required to block artificial intelligence services that fail to implement age verification systems by an upcoming compliance deadline....

AWS Data Center in UAE Hit by Fire After Objects Strike Facility Amid Regional Tensions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed that one of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a temporary power shutdown after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire. The incident occurred at...