Authors Biography Dr. Norma Md Saad is a Professor at the Department of Economics, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. Her areas of specialization are International Trade, Islamic Economics and Islamic Finance. Her teaching and research have been focused on the intra-trade patterns of major economic blocs and their impact on regional integration. She is also actively doing research on the area of Islamic Economics and Finance focusing on waqf, Islamic microfinance. One of her research projects in waqf is to investigate the efficiency of corporate entities in managing Waqf institutions in Malaysia and other selected countries. Prof. Norma has published several books (which also includes chapter in a book) in the area of Islamic Finance, International Trade, Macroeconomics, and Business Mathematics. She has also published some of her works in the internationally recognized refereed journals. Hamida Mubasshera completed her Masters in Finance from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She earned her bachelor s degree in Business administration from the most prestigious business schools in Bangladesh, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka. Currently she is actively involved in the Islamic banking and finance education industry. While in IIUM, Hamida worked as a graduate teaching assistant. She has also served as the research assistant to the Dean of the Institute of Islamic Banking & Finance, IIUM. She did her Master s thesis on the shariah compliant model of a complementary currency namely Commercial Credit Circuit. Her primary research interest is in monetary economics from Islamic perspective. Her research interest also includes concept of riba, behavioral economics from Islamic perspective. Hamida has the experience of presenting papers in several International conferences and some of her papers are awaiting for publication in reputed journals. Ali Kafou is a PhD candidate at the National School of Trade and Management, Agadir, Morocco. Kafou received his bachelor of accounting and financial management from the national school of trade and management and his Master of financial engineering from the national school of applied sciences. He has 1 paper published and 2 forthcoming in refereed academic journals such as in the Journal of Risk, The Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, and Cahiers de Recherche en Sciences de Gestion. He was also asked to review papers for
180 Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, Vol. 11 No. 3, July-Sept. 2015 international refereed academic journals such as the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management. Ali presented many research papers at professional conferences. He is a member of the organizing committee of the International conference of entrepreneurial finance. He is also a member of the Laboratory of Research in Entrepreneurship Finance and Audit. Professor Dr. M. Ahmed Chakir is Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship in the Department of management. He received his PhD in Finance from the University Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco. Chakir is a financial economist with consulting, research and teaching experiences in financial engineering, venture capital, Entrepreneurship and Islamic finance. He has 7 papers published and forthcoming in refereed academic journals such as in the Journal of Risk, The Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, Cahiers de Recherche en Sciences de Gestion and the European Journal of Business and Management. Dr. Chakir supervised 6 doctoral theses at the National School of Trade and Management. Many of his students are now well placed in the academia (Professors), government (ministry of finance) and private sectors. He gives lectures and workshops in Morocco and abroad, and has presented many research papers at professional conferences. He is the president of the organizing committee of the International conference of entrepreneurial finance. He is also the founder and the president of the Laboratory of Research in Entrepreneurship Finance and Audit. Dr. Mohammad Selim is a full time faculty member at the Department of Economics and Finance, College of Business Administration, University of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain. Dr. Mohammad Selim received his Ph.D. degree in Economics from Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with Macroeconomics and Econometrics as major and minor fields. In his Ph.D. thesis, titled, An Empirical Examination of Growth and Stagnation Dr. Mohammad Selim investigated the macroeconomic performance of the major OECD countries and found that expansionary monetary policy had become less effective in restoring full employment and maintaining acceptable economic growth rates. Dr. Mohammad Selim also taught at Dalhousie University, Saint Mary s University, Mount St. Vincent University, Mount Allison University and University of New Brunswick, all in, Canada. Dr. Mohammad Selim also taught at the Royal University for Women, Riffa, Bahrain. Dr. Mohammad Selim worked as Chairman of Graduate Studies and Research at the Royal University for Women. Dr. Selim also served as Quality Assurance Unit Head for the Royal University for Women. Dr. Selim worked as the Head of the Department of Business and Finance at the Royal University for Women, Bahrain. In 2013-2014, Dr. Selim received Research Awards (2 times) for Publications from the Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain. In 2008, Dr. Selim also received
Authors Biography 181 Best Faculty Member Award, recognizing him as the best faculty member in the Faculty of Business and Financial Sciences (FBFS) by the Students Council of the Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain. On the occasions of National Day Celebrations of Bahrain in December, 2008, the Student Council of the Royal University for Women, on behalf of its students, honoured Dr. Selim and presented him an award for being A Wonderful Role Model to all Business Students in the Faculty of Business and Financial Sciences, Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain. In 2002-2003, Dr. Mohammad Selim was awarded Research Grants from the University of New Brunswick for conducting research on The Impact of Air Pollution on Health and Healthcare Costs, Canada. Also in 2002-2003, Dr. Mohammad Selim was awarded Research Grants from the University of New Brunwick for conducting research on The Impact of Healthcare Expenditures on life Expectancy, Canada. Mohammad Ahmad Talalweh is an Associate Professor at Al Quds Open University (Palestine). Awarded PhD in the Accountancy and Finances Department at the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain) in 2011. Master of Accountancy and Finance from the same department in 2008 and Master in Financial Administration at the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences (Jordan) in 2005. Research interests in sustainability reporting in the Islamic World and Islamic finance. Kai Whiting is Director of the Energy Engineering programme at Universidad EAN, Bogota, Colombia. Masters in Renewable Energy, Universidad de Zaragoza and Masters in Environment and Business at University of Abertay Dundee. Research interests include sustainability, energy, environmental economics, development economics and Islam. Luis Gabriel Carmona is an Environmental and Sanitary Engineer (Universidad de la Salle). Masters in Energy Efficiency and Industrial Ecology (Universidad de Zaragoza). Postgraduate degree in Project Management and another one in Integrated HSEQ Management (Universidad EAN). Professional experience in project management and integrated HSEQ management in infrastructure, transport and energy sector. Certificated and experienced in the writing and development of corporate sustainability reports. Lecturer, researcher and author of more than 15 academic publications. Sanjida Islam is a postgraduate candidate at the Department of Economics, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. Her research interests include efficiency studies and banking performance. She is currently involved in several research projects in the aforementioned area.
182 Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, Vol. 11 No. 3, July-Sept. 2015 Dr Salina Kassim is currently Associate Professor at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She earned her PhD in Monetary Economics in 2006 from the IIUM and her Masters and Bachelor degrees from the USA. She teaches Money and Banking, and Islamic Banking and Finance at the under-graduate level, and Islamic Financial System, Financial Economics and Business Economics at the graduate level. Her research interests include financial/monetary economics and Islamic banking and finance. She has published numerous articles in refereed academic journals in her areas of research interest. Dr Salina also sits on the editorial boards of several reputable international journals. Prior to becoming an academician, Dr Salina has a seven-year working experience in a commercial bank in Malaysia. Dr. Mahmood Ahmed is working as an executive vice president and head of Islami Bank Training and Research Academy (IBTRA), Regional Centre, Chittagong. He started his career as a Senior Officer (Financial Analyst) of Sonali Bank in 1984. He was a faculty member (Trainer, Researcher & Consultant) of Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM), (1985-1994). He joined in IBTRA as an assistant vice president (Research) in 1994. He worked as director (Training) of the two foreign training courses of IBTRA. One for the 9 participants of Jaiz Bank PLC, Nigeria, in 2010 and another for the 11 participants of The Microfinance Support Centre Ltd, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Uganda, in 2011. He is author of three books (in Bengali): (1) Takar Gondho (The Ascent of Money), published by Ahsan Publications, Dhaka, (2) Islami Adorsho (Islamic Ideology), published by Professors Publications, Dhaka, and (3) Islami Khudro Rin: Totto O Proyouge (Islamic Microcredit: Theory and Practice) published by the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT). Besides he is the co-author of Text Book on Islamic Banking, published by Islamic Economics Research Bureau, Dhaka. He translated, into Bengali, three books of Dr.Umer Chapra which were published by the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT). The books are: (1) Islam and Economic Development, (2) The Future of Economics in the Perspective of Islam, and (3) Decline of Muslim Civilization: Causes and Remedies. He also contributed 26 articles on Islamic Economics, Finance and Banking in the internationally reputed Professional Journals. He contributes feature in The ISLAMIC FINANCE NEWS which is being published from Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. He is a country representative of it. Dr. Ahmed is a consultant of Islamic microfinance development programme. He contributed to Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Jeddah Microfinance Development Programme (IDB-MDP) Bangladesh. He is winner of an international bid of the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) under the Ministry of Finance, Uganda, in 2012, for providing Islamic microfinance
Authors Biography 183 consultancy services as chief consultant. He is also a winner of 1st prize in Essay Competition 2104 of Islami Bank Officers Welfare Association, on Islamic Banking: The Solution for Global Financial Challenges. He presented 7 papers in international conferences of Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Jeddah during 2004-2010. On this occasion, he travelled India, Egypt, Malaysia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Brunei, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. Besides he presented papers in the 9th Biennial Conference of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) in 1991 and in the Third Academic International Conference of Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) in 1994. Dr. Ahmed did his Masters with Honours in Finance from the University of Dhaka in 1984, and Ph.D in Economics in 1992 from the Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS), University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. He participated in the 11th Training Course on Islamic Banking held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran in 2000. He is a life member of BEA, IERB and BIIT. He is a member of Editorial Advisory Board of the Lahore Journal of Economics Pakistan, and Ex-Secretary General of BIIT. Ms. Nikhat Mushir joined the Gulf Studies programme for her doctoral research in 2012 at India-Arab Cultural Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. She has done her B.Com (Hons) and M.Com (Business Management) from Department of Commerce and Business Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia itself. She has worked as an International Business coordinator at Esarem technologies Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India. She then joined NICT (a nodal centre for SMU University) as a visiting lecturer, where she taught Business Economics, Introduction to Financial Management. Her area of research of specialisation is Islamic Banking and Finance and the title of her thesis is Islamic Infrastructural Project Finance in the GCC with Special Reference to the Energy Sector. She is the recipient of the Mualana Azad National Fellowship for Research Students, awarded by University Grants Commission, Government of India. Nazneen Jahan Chaudhury, Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, International Islamic University Chittagong. Nazneen received her B. Com (Honours) in Finance and M.Com. in Banking from the university of Dhaka. Shs has just submitted her M.Phil Thesis paper in the Department of Finance and Banking, University of Chittaging. Bangladesh. Nazneen has 15 papers published in referred academic journals such as in the journal of Management Development, Journal of Business and Technology (Dhaka), Thoughts on Economics, Journal of the Institute of Bankers Bangladesh, IIUC Business Review, IIUC Studies, International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, and one Conference Paper (7th International Conference on Development of Social Enterprise
184 Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance, Vol. 11 No. 3, July-Sept. 2015 and Social Business for Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Street Begging, 19-20 December,2014,IIUC, Chittagong, Bangladesh). Mohammad Noorizzuddin Nooh is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). He received his first degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1999 and an MBA from the UiTM, Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2001. He is currently at the final stage of completing his doctoral dissertation at the Universiti Utara Malaysia in the area of Islamic Management. His area of expertise is in Halal Branding, Brand Managament, Crisis Management, Advertising Ethics and Entrepreneurship. He has published several books under different genres such as Financial Services Marketing, Students Motivation, Islamic Consumer Behavior and Halal Branding. He has written more than 100 newspaper articles mostly on political economy in Malaysia. Currently he is the Pro-tem Vice President II for the Malaysian Problem Based Learning Association. Muhammad Ridhwan Ab. Aziz, PhD is the Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Economics and Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). He received his first degree in Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons.) from the University of Malaya in 2001 and a Master's degree in Islamic Studies in 2008, specializing in Islamic Banking. In 2011, he was awarded a doctoral degree in Islamic Banking, also from the University of Malaya. His area of expertise is in the field of Islamic banking and finance, Islamic commercial law as well as Islamic financial institutions. Until now, he has published several books namely Agriculture in Islam: From the Perspective of Economics, Banking & Finance (UTM Press Publisher), Introduction to Islamic Institutions in Economics and Finance (USIM Publisher), Islamic Banking and Finance in Malaysia: System, Issues and Challenges (USIM Publisher), The Principles and Practices of Islamic Banking and Takaful in Malaysia (USIM Publisher) and Islamic Financial Services: History and Practices (USIM Publisher). He is also the editor of Celebrating 30 Years of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions in Malaysia 1983-2013 and Waqf Financing for Higher Education: Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward (USIM Publisher). He has also presented and published more than 80 papers and articles in various national and international conferences and journals. Muhamad Abduh is an Assistant Professor at School of Business and Economics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). Prior to joining UBD, he was an Assistant Professor at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Malaysia. He had published more than 30 articles in various international refereed journals and presented papers in more than 20 international conferences. He can be contacted via email: muhamad.abduh@ubd.edu.bn
Authors Biography 185 Alaa Alobaad is a lecturer at College of Shariah and Islamic Studies, Kuwait University, Kuwait. Currently she is pursuing her doctoral degree at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Malaysia.