Dr Shabbir Ahmad
Senior Research Fellow Agribusiness & Economics
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Affiliate of ARC COE for Children and Families Over the Lifecourse
ARC COE for Children and Families Over the Lifecourse
Researcher biography
Dr. Shabbir Ahmad is an applied econometrician and economist specializing in productivity, financial analysis, and environmental sustainability. His research encompasses impact evaluation across various economic and financial dimensions, developing econometric methods to measure and decompose sectoral productivity into its core drivers. Dr. Ahmad's recent work has centered on productivity and sustainability challenges within the agriculture and resource sectors, focusing on achieving net zero emissions.
His collaborations span industry, international organizations, and academic institutions, addressing economic development issues across multiple continents. Dr. Ahmad's expertise lies in data analytics, economic modeling, and policy analysis, with proficiency in handling and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, including large administrative datasets.
Dr. Ahmad's work significantly contributes to international development research, addressing key challenges in economic growth, resource management, and policy interventions in developed and developing nations. His research blends robust theoretical foundations with practical solutions, influencing academic discourse and global policy decisions. Throughout his career, he has secured numerous international grants and applied innovative methods to combat rural poverty and promote economic development, especially in Asia and Africa.
He holds a PhD in Applied Econometrics from the UQ School of Economics (2014) and a PhD in Financial Economics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan (2011).
Publications
Book
Steen, John T., Ahmad, Shabbir, Verreynne, Martie-Louise, Battese, George and Burki, Abid (2016). Final Report: Farmers' capabilities, productivity and profitability: a case study of small holders in selected agro zones in Pakistan. Canberra, ACT, Australia: ACIAR.
Book Chapters
Koomson, Isaac and Ahmad, Shabbir (2024). Financial inclusion and adoption of integrated crop-livestock farming systems in India. Financial inclusion and sustainable rural development. (pp. 381-399) edited by Isaac Koomson and Renato A. Villano. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-981-97-6132-6_16
Horsley, Julia, Ahmad, Shabbir and Tonts, Matthew (2019). Challenges in measuring the local and regional contributions of mining: lessons from case studies in Rwanda, Zambia, and Ghana. Africa's mineral fortune: the science and politics of mining and sustainable development. (pp. 86-118) edited by Saleem H. Ali, Kathryn Sturman and Nina Collins. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429467424-8
Ahmad, Shabbir and Ahmad, Shabbir (2007). Analysing and quantifying economic costs and benefits of Pakistan–India trade: A case study of the chemical industry. The challenges and potentials of Pakistan-India trade. (pp. 158-169) edited by Zareen Fatima Naqvi and Philip Schuler. Washington, DC, United States: World Bank.
Journal Articles
Mohy-ud-Din, Kamran, Shahbaz, Muhammad, Khamdamov, Shoh-Jakhon and Ahmad, Shabbir (2025). Asymmetric role of board diversity on green growth mechanism: Evidence from COP27 framework. Journal of Environmental Management, 375 124172, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124113
Miao, Yinjia, Ather Bukhari, Azaz Ali, Bukhari, Waqar Ali Ather, Ahmad, Shabbir and Hayat, Naveed (2025). Why fossil fuels stifle green economic growth? An environmental management perspective in assessing the spatial spillover impact of energy consumption in South Asia. Journal of Environmental Management, 373 123471, 123471. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123471
Abbas, Syed Jaffar, Ahmad, Shabbir, Hayat, Naveed and Ahmad, Shabbir (2024). Unraveling the regional determinants of capital flight: A comparative analysis. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 1-21. doi: 10.1007/s13132-024-02462-2
Shahbaz, Muhammad, Patel, Nikunj, Du, Anna Min and Ahmad, Shabbir (2024). From black to green: Quantifying the impact of economic growth, resource management, and green technologies on CO2 emissions. Journal of Environmental Management, 360 121091, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121091
Ahmad, Shabbir (2023). Innovation and drivers of productivity: a global analysis of selected critical minerals. Commodities, 2 (4), 417-432. doi: 10.3390/commodities2040024
Weldegiorgis, Scholar Fitsum S., Dietsche, Evelyn, Ahmad, Shabbir, Franks, Daniel M. and Cust, James (2023). Inter‐sectoral economic linkages in the Australian mining industry: analysis using partial hypothetical extraction method. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 68 (1), 206-226. doi: 10.1111/1467-8489.12544
Koomson, Isaac, Orkoh, Emmanuel and Ahmad, Shabbir (2023). Non-farm entrepreneurship, caste, and energy poverty in rural India. Energy Economics, 127 (Part A) 107118, 107118. doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2023.107118
Shahbaz, Muhammad, Siddiqui, Aaliyah, Ahmad, Shabbir and Jiao, Zhilun (2023). Financial development as a new determinant of energy diversification: the role of natural capital and structural changes in Australia. Energy Economics, 126 106926, 106926. doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2023.106926
Shahbaz, Muhammad, Sinha, Avik, Ahmad, Shabbir, Jiao, Zhilun and Wang, Zhaohua (2023). Role of foreign direct investment in decomposing of scale and technique effects on China's energy consumption. International Journal of Finance and Economics, 28 (3), 3370-3385. doi: 10.1002/ijfe.2597
Weldegiorgis, Fitsum Semere, Dietsche, Evelyn and Ahmad, Shabbir (2023). Inter-sectoral economic linkages in the mining industries of Botswana and Tanzania: analysis using partial hypothetical extraction method. Resources, 12 (7) 78, 78. doi: 10.3390/resources12070078
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John, Ali, Saleem and Valenta, Rick (2023). Carbon-adjusted efficiency and technology gaps in gold mining. Resources Policy, 81 103327, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103327
Weldegiorgis, Fitsum S., Dietsche, Evelyn, Franks, Daniel M., Cust, James and Ahmad, Shabbir (2022). Mining and linkages for economic transformation: revealing multi-stakeholder perspectives through Q-methodology. The Extractive Industries and Society, 12 101174, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.exis.2022.101174
Ismail, Andleeb, Ahmad, Shabbir and Khan, Karim (2022). Decomposition of total factor productivity into efficiency components: An empirical analysis of district level school performance. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10 (2). doi: 10.52131/pjhss.2022.1002.0251
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John, Valenta, Rick and Ali, Saleem (2022). Technology gaps in global gold production: a mine-level carbon dioxide emissions adjusted efficiency analysis. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1-29. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4090750
Shahbaz, Muhammad, Song, Malin, Ahmad, Shabbir and Vinh Vo, Xuan (2022). Does economic growth stimulate energy consumption? The role of human capital and R&D expenditures in China. Energy Economics, 105 105662, 105662. doi: 10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105662
Su, Chi-Wei, Sun, Tiezhu, Ahmad, Shabbir and Mirza, Nawazish (2021). Does institutional quality and remittances inflow crowd-in private investment to avoid Dutch Disease? A case for emerging seven (E7) economies. Resources Policy, 72 102111, 102111. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102111
Hao, Linna, Ahmad, Shabbir, Chang, Hsu-Ling and Umar, Muhammad (2021). Knowledge spill-over and institutional quality role in controlling Dutch disease: A case of BRICS countries. Resources Policy, 72 102114, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102114
Cheng, Ya, Awan, Usama, Ahmad, Shabbir and Tan, Zhixiong (2021). How do technological innovation and fiscal decentralization affect the environment? A story of the fourth industrial revolution and sustainable growth. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162 120398, 120398. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120398
Ahmad, Shabbir, Shankar, Sriram, Steen, John, Verreynne, Martie-Louise and Burki, A. A. (2020). Using measures of efficiency for regionally-targeted smallholder policy intervention: The case of Pakistan’s horticulture sector. Land Use Policy, 101 105179, 105179. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105179
Ahmad, Shabbir (2020). Estimating input-mix efficiency in a parametric framework: application to state-Level agricultural data for the United States. Applied Economics, 52 (36), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/00036846.2020.1726866
Ahmad, Nisar, Naveed, Amjad, Ahmad, Shabbir and Butt, Irfan (2020). Banking sector performance, profitability and efficiency: a citation-based systematic literature review. Economic Surveys, 34 (1) joes.12346, 185-218. doi: 10.1111/joes.12346
Tisdell, Clement, Ahmad, Shabbir, Agha, Nadia, Steen, John and Verreynne, Martie-Louise (2019). Microfinance for wives: fresh insights obtained from a study of poor rural women in Pakistan. Journal of Research in Gender Studies, 10 (1), 9-37. doi: 10.22381/JRGS10120201
Tisdell, Clement and Ahmad, Shabbir (2018). Microfinance: economics and ethics. International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 34 (3) IJOES-02-2018-0028, 372-392. doi: 10.1108/ijoes-02-2018-0028
Ahmad, Shabbir, Ali, Saleem H., Mirza, M. Usman and Lotia, Hina (2017). The limits of water pricing in a developing country metropolis: empirical lessons from an industrial city of Pakistan. Water, 9 (7) 533, 533. doi: 10.3390/w9070533
Noreen, Uzma and Ahmad, Shabbir (2016). Cost efficiency and total factor productivity: an empirical analysis of Pakistan's insurance sector. Lahore Journal of Economics, 21 (1), 123-150. doi: 10.35536/lje.2016.v21.i1.a5
Ahmad, Shabbir and Burki, Abid A. (2015). Banking deregulation and allocative efficiency in Pakistan. Applied Economics, 48 (13), 1182-1196. doi: 10.1080/00036846.2015.1096001
Burki, Abid A. and Ahmad, Shabbir (2011). The impact of bank governance on bank performance in Pakistan. The Lahore Journal of Economics, 16 (Supp. Special Edition), 271-300.
Burki, Abid A. and Ahmad, Shabbir (2010). Bank governance changes in Pakistan: is there a performance effect?. Journal of Economics and Business, 62 (2), 129-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jeconbus.2009.08.002
Conference Papers
Ahmad, Shabbir, Burki, Abid Aman and Khan, Muhammad Raza Mustafa (2024). Recent trends and decomposition of district-level crop agriculture productivity in Pakistan. Productivity, Regulation and Economic Policy, Brisbane, Australia, 2-22 November 2024.
Ahmad, Shabbir (2024). Accelerating Decarbonisation in Agriculture & Land Use. Impaxt X, Sydney, Australia, 23 April 2024.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John, ,Ali, Saleem and Zajac, Tomasz (2023). Resource allocation and environmental productivity: evidence from global aluminium smelting. AARES, Christchurch, New Zealand, 7-10 February 2023.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John, Ali, Saleem and Zajac, Tomasz (2023). Resource allocation and environmental productivity: evidence from global aluminium smelting. Australian Agriculture and Resource Economics Society Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand, 7-10 February 2023.
Ahmad, Shabbir (2022). Complex Ore Bodies socio-economic development, innovation, and productivity issues. Complex Ore Bodies Day, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 29 November 2022.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John, Valenta, Rick and Ali, Saleem (2022). Technology gaps in gold production: a mine level environmentally adjusted analysis. European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis, Porto, Portugal, 27-29 June 2022.
Ahmad, Shabbir and Burki, Abid Aman (2013). Financial deregulation and allocative efficiency in banking. Asia Pacific Conference 2013 (APC 2013), Oita, Japan, 2-3 November 2013.
Ahmad, Shabbir (2011). Impact of Deregulation on Patterns of Allocative Inefficiency in Pakistan’s Banking Sector. 14th International Business Research Conference, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 28-30 April 2011.
Ahmad, Shabbir (2006). Banking risk and efficiency: an evidence from commercial banks of Pakistan. GCBE 2006: 6th Global Conference on Business & Economics, Boston, MA, USA, 15-17 October, 2006. Jama Masjid, Delhi, India: Association for Business and Economics Research (ABER).
Ahmad, Shabbir (2006). Corporate governance and performance of commercial banks in Pakistan. 23èmes journées internationales d’économie monétaire et bancaire, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, 22-23 June, 2006. Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France: l’Université Charles de Gaulle - Lille 3.
Thesis
Ahmad, Shabbir (2013). Econometric estimation of the components of total factor productivity change. PhD Thesis, School of Economics, The University of Queensland.
Research Reports
Hine, Damian, Mitter, Neen, Blaser-Hart, Wilma, Shabbir Ahmad, Xiong, Ling, Wei, Tao and Howard, Alice (2024). The feasibility of cocoa production in Tonga: an assessment. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Hine, Damian and Xiong, Ling (2024). Sustainable aviation fuel production for Australia. Unknown:
Burki, Abid A., Ahmad, Shabbir and Khan, M. Raza Mustafa (2022). Recent trends and a decomposition of district-level crop agriculture productivity in Pakistan. Washington, DC, United States: World Bank.
Baxter, Janeen , Povey, Jenny , Burger, Sarah-Ann , Cook, Stephanie , Tseng, Yi-Ping , Polidano, Cain , Kalb, Guyonne , Mamun, Abdullah , Ahmad, Shabbir , O'Flaherty, Martin , Borland, Jeff , Plage, Stefanie , Bellotti, Melindy , Kennedy, Elizabeth , Tomaszewski, Wojtek and Western, Mark (2021). Try, Test and Learn Evaluation - Final Report. Prepared for Department of Social Service. Institute for Social Science Research - Publications Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research.
Reddel, Tim, Verstege, Emily, Dave Porter, Charles-Edwards, Elin, Kubler, Matthias, Ahmad, Shabbir, Lam, Jack and Fullerton, Ken (2021). COVID-19 Residential Tenancies Response – Post Implementation Review. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Sisira Jayasuriya, Hayat Khan, Jeff LaFrance , Thilak Mallawaarachchi , Jikun Huang, Muhammad Qasim, Nauman Ejaz, Arif Nadeem, Abdul Ghafoor, Tariq Ali, Anwar Shah, Zarmeen Hasan , Aneela Afzal, Waqas Farooq, Ummul Ruthbah, Tehmina Mangan and Shabbir Ahmad (2021). Policy and Institutional Reforms to Improve Horticultural Markets in Pakistan. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Steen, John and Tisdell, Clement (2018). Creating wealth in smallholders' farms in Pakistan through efficient credit systems. Brisbane, Australia: UQ Business School.
Seminar Papers
Ahmad, Shabbir (2022). Complex ore-bodies socioeconomic development, innovation, and productivity issues. Julius Kruttschnitt Minerals Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, Sustainable Minerals Institute .
Working Papers
Khezr, Peyman and Ahmad, Shabbir (2018). Anchoring in the housing market: evidence from Sydney. Working paper series. 596. School of Economics, The University of Queensland.
Ahmad, Shabbir, Shankar, Sriram, Steen, John, Verrynne, Martie-Louise and Burki, Abid Aman (2018). What drives smallholders' productivity in Pakistan's horticultural sector?. Discussion Papers Series. 596. School of Economics, The University of Queensland Australia.
Ahmad, Shabbir (2017). Estimating input-mix efficiency in a parametric framework: application to state-level agricultural data for the United States. Economic Theory, Applications and Issues Working Paper Series. 78. School of Economics, The University of Queensland.
Tisdell, Clem and Ahmad, Shabbir (2017). Microfinancing in developing countries: an assessment taking particular account of the views of Becker and Posner. Working Papers on Social Economics, Policy and Development. 64. School of Economics, The University of Queensland.
Tisdell, Clem , Ahmad, Shabbir , Nadia, Agha , Steen, John and Verreynne, Martie-Louise (2017). Loans, Wealth Creation and the Socioeconomic Situation of Women in the Taluka Area of the Khairpur District, Sindh, Pakistan: A Study Based on Interviews with Female Focal Groups. Social Economics, Policy and Development. 62. School of Economics, University of Queensland.
Ahmad, Shabbir and Burki, Abid A. (2014). Banking Deregulation and Allocative Efficiency in Pakistan. LUMS Working Paper Series. 14-11. School of Economics, LAhore University of Management Sciences.
Burki, Abid A. and Ahmad, Shabbir (2008). Corporate governance changes in Pakistan’s banking sector: Is there a performance effect?. CMER Working Paper. 07-59. Centre for Management and Economic Research (CMER), Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Newspaper Articles
Ahmad, Shabbir (2014, 09 24). China's war on pollution could leave Aussie coal out in the cold. The Conversation