CV

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IFTEKHAR AHMED

Curriculum Vitae

iftekhar.ahmed [at] otago.ac.nz | iftekhariahmed.github.io | @iftekhariahmed | Google Scholar

EDUCATION

Otago Business School, University of Otago, New Zealand
    Ph.D. in Finance, July 2022 (expected)
    Thesis: Essays on Climate Finance
    Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Ivan Diaz-Rainey & Assoc. Prof. Helen Roberts

Northern University of Malaysia, Malaysia
    M.Sc. in Finance, November 2018
    Thesis: Mission Drift in Microfinance Institutions of OIC Countries
    Supervisor: Prof. Yusnidah Ibrahim

University of Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia
    B.Bus. (Hons) in International Business, September 2014
    Bachelor Thesis: Sustainability, Outreach and Efficiency of Microfinance Institutions

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Department of Accountancy & Finance, University of Otago, New Zealand
   Teaching Assistant, February 2020 - Present

• FINC304 Financial Markets and Institutions [S1: 2020, 2021]
• FINC206 Corporate Finance [S2: 2020]
• FINC102 Business Mathematics [S2: 2020]

   Guest Lecturer, June 2020 [S1: 2020]

• Microfinance Institutions and Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities

   Exam Supervisor, February 2020 - Present

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Otago Business School, University of Otago, New Zealand
   Ph.D. Fellow, Essays on Climate Finance, August 2019 - Present

• Essay 1: Develop a new index to identify the systemically important microfinance institutions amid climate risk.
• Essay 2: Assess the exposure of microfinance institutions’ loan portfolios to climate vulnerability and geographic positioning.
• Essay 3: Investigate microfinance institutions’ distress risk from climate extreme.
• Essay 4: Developed a bottom-up financial stress test to examine the potential losses incurred by microfinance institutions across climate scenarios in their loan portfolios.

Climate and Energy Finance Group (CEFGroup), Otago Business School, University of Otago, New Zealand
   Research Assistant, May 2020 - Present

• Dealing with regular administrative works, including public and private stakeholders’ communication, tracking the growth, maintaining CRM, organizng research seminars and symposiums, inviting distinguished academics and industry experts, and updating group’s website are among few.
• Organize several events, i.e., CEFGroup Reading Sessions (Convener), CEFGroup Seminars and Webinars (Convener), 3rd GRASFI Conference 2020 Tied Online Workshop on Climate Finance in Asia and Australasia, 2020 (Organizing Committee Secretariat), 1st CEFGroup Climate Finance Symposium, 2020 (Organizing Committee Member).
• Analyze climate risk to alternative financial institutions, its implications and policy for the bottom of the pyramid.
• Researches in Inclusive Green Finance and AI in finance.

Asian Research Institute of Banking and Finance, Malaysia
   Research Assistant, September 2017 - December 2018

• I assisted CIMB-UUM Chair Prof. Salim Rashid in reserach project on Financial and Banking sectors in Malaysia, and case studies on Immigrant Entrepreneurship and Family-run Dual Business.

School of Economics, Finance and Banking, Northern University of Malaysia, Malaysia
   Research Assistant, August 2017 - December 2018

• I asssited Prof. Mohd Sobri Minai in a Ministry of Higher Education funded FRGS project on Investigating the Presence of MFIs Mission Drift in ASEAN and the Mission of Malaysian MFIs.

Accounting Research Institute, MARA University of Technology, Malaysia
   Research Assistant (Visiting), January 2017 - June 2017

• I assisted Prof. Zuraidah Mohd Sanusi in a project on Anti-Fraud and Anti-Money Laundering Mechanisms in Financial Reporting Environment.

Book Chapter

• Diaz-Rainey, Ivan, Tulloch, Daniel J., Ahmed, Iftekhar, McCarten, Matthew and Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2021. An Energy Policy for Association of Southeast Asian Nations? Lessons from the European Union’s Experience on Energy Integration, Security and Decarbonisation. In Economic Integration in Asia and Europe: Lessons and Recommended Policies. Tokyo: ADBI.
• A working paper on the topic is published by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), Tokyo: Japan. ADBI Working Paper No. 1217.

Journal Papers

• Ahmed, I., Diaz-Rainey, I., Roberts, H. and Nguyen, D. T. T. Expand or Avoid: Microfinance Credit Risk and Climate Vulnerability. Under-review.
• Hussain, M. D., Ahmed, I., Mohiuddin, M. and Hossain, M. T. Stakeholders on Board: Impact in Microfinance Sustainability and Social Outreach. Under-review.
• Hussain, M. D. and Ahmed, I. Governance and Double Bottom Line Performance of Microfinance Institutions: Evidence from Bangladesh. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research. (Scopus, SJR:Q3). R&R.R2.
• Ahmed, I., Ibrahim, Y. and Bhuiyan, A. B. (2021). Microfinance performance in the OIC member states - Does regulation status matter? International Journal of Development and Conflict, 11(1), 1-23. (ABDC:B).
• Ibrahim, Y. Ahmed, I. and Minai, M. S. (2018). The influence of institutional characteristics on the financial performance of microfinance institutions in the OIC countries. Economics & Sociology, 11(2), 19-35. (Scopus, SJR:Q1).
• Ahmed, I., Bhuiyan, A. B., Ibrahim, Y., Said, J. and Salleh, M. F. M. (2016). Social Accountability of Microfinance Institutions in South Asian Region. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 6(3), 824-829. (Scopus, SJR:Q3).

Working Papers

• Microfinance’s Climate Distress Risk, with Diaz-Rainey, I. and Roberts, H.
• Systemically Important Microfinance Institutions and Climate Change, with Diaz-Rainey, I. and Roberts, H.
• Ahmed, I., Ibrahim, I., Minai, M. S. Capital Structure and Outreach Nexus of Microfinance Institutions: New Evidences from the Society of Muslim Economies.
• Ibrahim, I., Minai, M. S., Alam, M. M. and Ahmed, I. Is Mission drift True for Microfinance Institutions? New Evidence from ASEAN Countries.
• Climate Stress Test of Microfinance Institutions, with Diaz-Rainey, I. and Roberts, H.

Selected Conferences & Seminars

2020-2021

• ASFAAG - 1st Annual Conference 2021 (online), UK.
• 2nd CEFGroup Climate Finance Symposium 2021, Dunedin, New Zealand.
• 16th Australasian Development Economics Workshop 2021 (online), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
• International Conference - Climate Finance: Challenges and lessons for the future 2021 (online), Brighton, UK.
• FMA Annual Meeting 2021 (online), Denver, Colorado, USA.
• Banca d’Italia-Bank of England joint research conference on ‘The macro-financial impacts of climate change and the net zero transition 2021 (online), Milan, Italy.
• Globally Sustainable Banking & Finance: In Support of Evidence-Based Policy Making Conference 2021 (online), Belfast, UK.
• International Conference on Sustainable Development 2021 (online).
• 6th Econometric Research in Finance ERFIN Workshop 2021 (online), Warsaw, Poland.
• IFABS-Oxford Conference 2021 (online), Oxford, UK.
• 4th Annual GRASFI Conference 2021 (online), Beijing, China.
• 7th International Young Finance Scholar’s Conference 2021 (online), Oxford, UK.
• 3rd JRC Summer School on Sustainable Finance 2021 (online), Brussels, Belgium.
• 56th Western Finance Association WFA Annual Meeting 2021 (online).
• Sustainable Finance and Governance Workshop 2021 (online), Bath, UK.
• Financial Markets and Corporate Governance Conference 2021 (online), Melbourne, Australia.
• He Kaupapa Hononga: Otago’s Climate Change Research Network Postgrad Seminar 2021, Dunedin, New Zealand.
• 25th Annual New Zealand Finance Colloquium 2021, Tauranga, New Zealand.
• Irish Academy of Finance virtual seminar 2020, Dublin, Ireland.
• 1st CEFGroup Climate Finance Symposium 2020, Dunedin, New Zealand. ### 2014-2017
• Sintok International Conference on Social Science and Management 2017, Langkawi Island, Malaysia.
• 3rd Annual ECoFI Symposium 2016, Sintok, Malaysia.
• Thematic Workshop on Intra Trade in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries 2015, Sintok, Malaysia.
• 4th International Malaysian-Ireland Join Symposium on Engineering, Science and Business 2014, Penang, Malaysia.

Scholarship and Awards

• University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship 2019-2022, University of Otago, New Zealand.
• Otago Business School Ph.D. Conference Grant 2019-2022, University of Otago, New Zealand.
• Climate and Energy Finance Group Conference Registration Grant 2021, University of Otago, New Zealand.
• Climate and Energy Finance Group Conference Travel Award 2021, University of Otago, New Zealand.
• He Kaupapa Hononga: Otago’s Climate Change Research Network Conference Travel Award 2021, University of Otago, New Zealand.
• Best Academic Award for Excellence in Academics 2013, University of Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.
• Dean List Award 2012/2014, University of Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.

Technical Skills

• Programming Languages: Advanced STATA Eviews Microfit PLS AMOS SPSS Basic Python R ArcGIS GitHub LATEX
• Data Analysis: Advanced Applied Econometrics Macroeconometrics Microeconometrics Credit risk modelling Financial stress testing Risk assessment
• Finance Modelling & Equity Research: Bloomberg DataStream Thomson Reuters Eikon MIX
• Miscellaneous: Basic Spatial modelling

Affiliations

American Finance Association (AFA), Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ), Financial Management Association International (FMA), Global Network on Financial Geography (FinGeo), Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN), Operational Research Society (The OR Society).

Service & Leadership

• Ad-hoc Reviewer: Accounting & Finance, African Development Review, Applied Economics, Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, International Journal of Managerial Finance, Journal of Financial Economic Policy, Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment.
• Conference Discussant: 1st CEFGroup Climate Finance Symposium 2020.
• President, Bangladesh Student Association (BDSA), 2020-2021. University of Otago, New Zealand.
• Students’ Representative Candidate, Students’ Representative Council (MPP), 2013-2014. University of Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.
• Founding Committee & Treasurer, International Student Club, 2012-2013. University of Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.

Referees

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Last updated: September 2021