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- Dr Faisal Rana
Dr Faisal Rana is an Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD). He obtained his PhD in Economics from Massey University in New Zealand.
Dr Faisal’s teaching philosophy in economics emphasises the practical application and real-world relevance of economic principles. By creating a highly engaging learning environment through case studies and real-world examples, he encourages students to analyse economic phenomena through practical lenses, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for future analysts and decision-makers.
Dr Faisal’s primary research interests lie in open-economy macroeconomics, international finance, cross-border capital flows and public sector infrastructure projects. His research work has been published in high-quality journals including Journal of Banking & Finance, Journal of International Money & Finance, Accounting & Finance, International Review of Economics & Finance, Applied Finance Letters, Contemporary Economic Policy, and Journal of Management in Engineering, among others. He is recipient of several prestigious awards, such as “Best Paper Award”, “Scientific Publications’ Award”, “Judges Choice Award & People’s Choice Award”, “Departmental Commitment Award” and “Teaching Excellence Award”.
Before assuming his current role, Dr Faisal held teaching positions at esteemed institutions in the UAE, Turkey, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He also worked as research economist and deputy director in Pakistan’s Central Bank prior to joining academia.
- PhD in Economics, Massey University (New Zealand)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Business, Massey University (New Zealand)
- MSc in Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University (Pakistan)
- BA in Economics & Statistics, University of the Punjab (Pakistan)
- Suleman, M. T., Kapar, B., & Rana, F. (2024). Infectious disease and asymmetric industrial volatility. Applied Finance Letters, 13, 77-97.
- Kapar, B., Billah, S. M., Rana, F., & Balli, F. (2023). An investigation of the frequency dynamics of spillovers and connectedness among GCC sectoral indices. International Review of Economics and Finance, 89(A), 1442-1467.
- Kapar, B., Buigut, S., & Rana, F. (2022). Winners and losers from Pfizer and Biontech’s vaccine announcement: Evidence from S&P 500 (sub)sector indices. PLOS ONE, 17(10), 1-23.
- Kapar, B., Buigut, S., & Rana, F. (2022). Global evidence on early effects of COVID-19 on stock markets. Review of Financial Economics, 40(4), 438-463.
- Khan, A., Waris, M., Panigrahi, S., Sajid, M. R., & Rana, F. (2021). Improving the performance of public sector infrastructure projects: Role of project governance and stakeholder management. Journal of Management in Engineering, 37(2), 1-20.
- Rana, F., & Balli, F. (2016). Would Australia-New Zealand be a viable currency union? Evidence from interstate risk sharing performances. Contemporary Economic Policy, 34(3), 531-552.
- Balli, F., & Rana, F. (2015). Determinants of risk sharing through remittances. Journal of Banking and Finance, 55, 107-116.
- Balli, F., Basher, S. A., & Rana, F. (2014). The determinants of the volatility of returns on cross-border asset holdings. Journal of International Money and Finance, 44, 1-23.
Dr Faisal’s research interests include open economy macroeconomics, international finance, cross-border capital flows and public sector infrastructure projects.
Research grants:
- Research grant of 1.4 million Pakistani Rupees for the project titled “Governing Public Sector Projects in Gilgit-Baltistan: A Multi-Stakeholder Analysis” under the RASTA Competitive Research Grants for policy-oriented research. The Research for Social Transformation and Advancement (RASTA) is the largest social sciences research network in Pakistan.
- Research grant of 2400 US dollars awarded from Effat University for study examining the bond market spillovers from emerging economies.
Dr Faisal had worked for over six years as research economist and deputy director in Pakistan’s Central Bank. His responsibilities included conducting in-depth economic research, analysing monetary trends, and providing valuable insights into fiscal policies aimed at enhancing economic stability and growth.
Subjects currently teaching:
- Economic Essentials for Business
- Global Business Challenges
- Multinational Financial Management
- International Economics
- International Financial Management
Specialist teaching areas:
- Principles of Economics
- Intermediate Macroeconomics
- International Economics
- Money and Banking
- International Finance
- Managerial Economics
- Business in the International Environment

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