Prof. Dr. Nadia Ashraf
Professor & Head of Department – Applied Economics
[email protected] | +92 51 9001234 | Islamabad, Pakistan | https://linkedin.com/in/dr-nadia-ashraf | https://numl.edu.pk/faculty/nadia-ashraf
Curriculum Vitae / Professional Summary
Distinguished Senior Economist, HEC-Approved PhD Supervisor, and Academic Administrator with fifteen years of university teaching, research leadership, and socio-economic policy advisory in Pakistan. Extensive research track record in applied econometrics, household remittance dynamics, and food inflation pass-through mechanisms with 22 publications in HEC W- and X-category indexed peer-reviewed journals. Successfully executed funded research grants totaling Rs. 48M from the Planning Commission, Higher Education Commission (HEC), and the World Bank.
Academic Qualifications
Ph.D. in Economics
Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad
Dissertation: 'Dynamics of Informal Labor Markets and Household Welfare in Post-Reform Pakistan'. Evaluated by foreign referees from Oxford University and Columbia University.
2010 to 2014
M.Phil. in Economics
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad
CGPA / Marks / Division: 1st Division
Merit Scholarship Awardee. Thesis on agricultural credit elasticity and crop yields in Punjab.
2007 to 2009
M.Sc. in Economics
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad
CGPA / Marks / Division: 1st Division (78% Marks)
2nd Position in University Cohort.
2005 to 2007
Professional Experience & Employment Record
Professor & Head of Economics Department | National University of Modern Languages (NUML) – Islamabad
September 2019 to Present
- Administer undergraduate, MS, and PhD degree programs comprising 850 enrolled students and 28 permanent and adjunct faculty members.
- Spearheaded comprehensive curriculum restructuring aligning undergraduate economics courses with revised HEC National Curriculum Council parameters.
- Supervised 6 PhD dissertations and 24 MPhil theses to successful defense on macro-monetary policy, rural poverty, and remittance utilization.
- Won competitive research grants totaling Rs. 28M under the HEC National Research Program for Universities (NRPU) for empirical inflation studies.
- Serve on the university Academic Council, Board of Advanced Studies & Research (BASR), and Departmental Tenure Review Committee.
Associate Professor of Economics | Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) – Islamabad
August 2014 to August 2019
- Conducted empirical policy research on labor market informalization, urban wage gaps, and trade openness in Pakistan.
- Published 12 research papers in HEC-recognized journals, including the Pakistan Development Review and Lahore Journal of Economics.
- Delivered policy briefings to federal ministry committees on agricultural support prices and household social safety nets.
- Taught doctoral-level courses in Advanced Econometric Theory and Applied Microeconomics.
Assistant Professor & Lecturer | Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) – Islamabad
January 2009 to July 2014
- Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Econometrics, Statistics for Economists, and Macroeconomic Theory.
- Supervised departmental computer laboratory econometric software training sessions in STATA, EViews, and R.
- Administered departmental semester examinations, grading moderation, and student academic counseling.
Research, Projects & Key Assignments
- National Remittance & Household Financial Resilience Study: Principal Investigator for national survey assessing remittance usage patterns across 3,600 rural households in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Funded by Planning Commission of Pakistan, Rs. 16M).
- CPEC Special Economic Zones Labor Absorption Assessment: Co-investigator on World Bank-funded study analyzing employment potential and technical skill shortages in Rashakai and M-3 Faisalabad Special Economic Zones.
Skills & Competencies
Applied Econometrics · Public Policy Analysis · Academic Department Governance · Doctoral & Graduate Supervision · HEC Curriculum Development · Research Grant Management · Empirical Survey Methodologies · Academic Peer Review
Certifications & Memberships
- HEC Approved PhD Supervisor, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (2016)
- Empirical Policy Evaluation, London School of Economics (LSE Summer Academy) (2018)
Honors & Achievements
- Higher Education Commission (HEC) Best University Teacher Award 2022.
- 22 Research papers published in HEC W- and X-category peer-reviewed journals with over 650 citations.
- Secured cumulative external research grants of Rs. 48M as Principal and Co-Principal Investigator.
Language Proficiency
English (Fluent / Academic) · Urdu (Native) · Punjabi (Fluent)
Personal Profile & Bio-Data
References
- Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque, Former Vice Chancellor, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), [email protected]
- Prof. Dr. Shahid Mansoor, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, [email protected]