1st Chairholder (2004)

Professor Dr. Abdul Mansur Mohammed Masih is a distinguished academic with a profound expertise in finance, economics, and applied econometrics. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Financial Econometrics from Leeds University in 1974, following a Master’s in Economics from Manchester University in 1969. Dr. Masih’s early academic career began in Bangladesh, where he taught for six years before moving to the United Kingdom and Australia. Over the next 27 years, he held faculty positions at several prominent institutions, including the University of New South Wales and Edith Cowan University. In 2000, he joined King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia, where he contributed significantly to the academic community as a professor and researcher in the fields of economics and finance.

Dr. Masih was an influential figure in both research and teaching. His research focused on econometric modeling, financial markets, and energy economics, with a particular emphasis on the economic development of South and Southeast Asia. He published over 50 refereed papers in prestigious international journals, and his work garnered widespread recognition, including numerous citations. He was also an active contributor to global academic conferences, delivering invited papers and mentoring junior faculty. Dr. Masih’s expertise extended to advisory roles at institutions like the University of Oxford, University of Pennsylvania, and the Thailand Development Research Institute. His career up to 2004 was marked by excellence in both academic research and teaching, earning him accolades such as the Best Researcher award from Edith Cowan University in 1998. He was the 1st Tun Ismail Mohamed Ali Distinguished Chair in Investment and Finance of National University of Malaysia in 2004.