Ather Akbari

Full Professor
Program Coordinator, Masters in Applied Economics
Chair, Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity
Sobey School of Business
Economics

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Faculty Member Information

Office Location: 305
Office Building: Sobey Building
Telephone: (902)420-5670
E-Mail: ather.akbari@smu.ca

Interests

Labour Economics (including Immigration Economics and Education Economics), Health Economics

Education

Ph.D., Economics, Simon Fraser University, 1988
M.A., Economics, Simon Fraser University, 1982

Membership

1989 - Present, Canadian Economics Association

Honours

Saint Mary's University Senate Research Grants Saint Mary's University, Halifax - 1991
President's Research Grant Simon Fraser University - 1986
President's Research Grant Simon Fraser University - 1982
Gold Medal University of Karachi - 1977

Teaching: Course / Program Development

1989/01 - 2014/04, Teaching as Visiting/ Adjunct Professor at various universities
1988/03 - Present, Teaching at Saint Mary's University
1987/03 - 1988/03, University of Victoria

Scholarly Contributions

Book Reviews

Akbari Ather. (2015)"Social Transformation in Rural Canada: Community, Culture and Collective Action (edited by John R. Parkins and Maureen G. Reed)", Social Transformation in Rural Canada: Community, Culture and Collective Action, Canadian Studies in Population 42:3-4, 77-79
Akbari Ather. (2003)"Book Review: Macroeconomics by Parkin, M. and Bade, R.", Macroeconomics
Akbari Ather. (2003)"Book Review: Modern Labour Economics by Ehrenberg and Smith ", Modern Labour Economics (Canadian Edition)
Akbari Ather. (2003)"Book Review: Macroeconomics by Mankiw, J.", Macroeconomics (Canadian edition)
Akbari Ather. (2000)"Book Review: Microeconomics by McConnell and Pope", Microeconomics
Akbari Ather. (1994)"Book Review : Economics of Earnings and Employment by C.Bruce", Economics of Earnings and Employment, 2nd edition
Akbari Ather. (1994)"Book Review: Environmental Economics by N.Olewiler (Canadian adoption)", Environmental Economics by B.Field
Akbari Ather. (1992)"Book Review: Economics by R.Waud, Harper & Row", Economics (Canadian Edition)

Book

Akbari Ather. "Immigrants in Regional Labour Markets of Host Nations: Some Evidence from Atlantic Canada" (Spring - 2013)
Akbari Ather, Rankaduwa Wimal. "Immigration in Small Urban Centres of Canada: Vibrant Communities of Atlantic Canada" (Spring - 2011)

Book Chapters

Akbari Ather. (2009). "Immigrant Naturalization and its Impacts on Immigrant Labour Market Performance and Treasury ", The Economics of Citizenship , 127-154
Akbari Ather. (2002). "Economic Integration of Canada and the United States: A Survey of Social, Cultural and Political Issues", America in the 21st Century

Journal Articles

Akbari Ather, Aydede Yigit. "Economic Benefits of Studying Economics in Canada: A Comparison of Wages of Economics Majors with those in other Disciplines Circa 2005", Canadian Journal of Higher Education 45:4 (Fall - 2015), 143-165
Akbari Ather. "Human Resource Deficit in Atlantic Canada: A challenge for Regional Economics Development ", Journal of International Migration and Integration 16:2 (Spring - 2015), 225-236
Akbari Ather, MacDonald Martha. "Immigration Policy in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States: An Overview of Recent Trends", International Migration Review 48:3 (Spring - 2014), 801-822
Akbari Ather, Aydede Yigit. "Effects of Immigration on House Prices in Canada", Applied Economics 44:13-15 (Spring - 2012), 1645-1658
Akbari Ather, Aydede Yigit. "Are the Educational Credentials of Immigrants and Native-born Perfect Substitutes in Canadian Labour Markets: A Production Function Analysis", Education Economics 21:5 (Winter - 2012), 485-502
Akbari Ather. "Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in Smaller Regions of Western Countries: Some Evidence from Atlantic Canada", Journal of International Migration and Integration/ Revue de l'integration et de la migration internationale 12:2 (Spring - 2011), 133-154
Akbari Ather, Hyder Shabir. "Emigration and Trade in a developing country: some evidence from Pakistan", Asia-Pacific Development Journal 18:2 (Winter - 2011), 57-78
Akbari Ather, Rankaduwa Wimal, Kiani K.. "Demand for Public Health Care in Pakistan", Pakistan Development Review 8:2 (Summer - 2009), 141-154
Akbari Ather, Mandale Maurice. "A Survey of Selected Presentations of the Conference on Immigration and Out-migration: Atlantic Canada at a Crossroads", Canadian Ethnic Studies 27:3 (Spring - 2005), 150-154
Gagnon A., A. Akbari. "Conceptual Clarity in International Collaboration: A point of departure for policy-related research on discrimination.", Journal of International Migration and Integration 6 (Spring - 2005), 132-137
Akbari A.. "Immigrant Quality in Canada: More Direct Evidence of Human Capital Content, 1956-1994", International Migration Review 33:1 (Winter - 1999), 156-175

Presentation

Akbari Ather. "Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in Atlantic Canada", Webinar, Leadership Roundtable on Immigration (Spring - 2012)
Akbari Ather. "Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in Atlantic Canada", Canadian Economics Association meeting (Spring - 2011)
Akbari Ather. "Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in Atlantic Canada and the Rest of Canada", National Metropolis Conference (Spring - 2011)
Akbari Ather. "Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in Atlantic Canada and in the Province of Ontario", Leslie Harris Centre, Atlantic Metropolis Centre and Association of New Canadians (Winter - 2011)
Akbari Ather. "Why do Immigrants earn more than non-immigrants in Halifax but not in Toronto", International Metropolis Conference (Fall - 2010)
Akbari Ather. "Immigration and House Prices in Canada", Canadian Economics Association Meeting (Spring - 2009)
Akbari Ather. "Sustainability of immigrants and native born within an education group", Canadian Economics Association Meeting (Spring - 2009)
Akbari Ather. "New Destinations of Immigrants in Canada", 12th National Metropolis Conference (Spring - 2009)
Akbari Ather. "Immigration Attraction and Retention in Smaller Areas of Canada: Some evidence from Atlantic Canada", Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (Workshop organized by Chatham-Kent Cultural Coalition) (Winter - 2009)
Akbari Ather. "Immigrant Naturalization in the United States", 9th National Metropolis conference (Spring - 2006)
Akbari A.. "Educational Attainment and Earnings of Immigrants in Canada", Institute of Research on Public Policy meeting (Spring - 2002)
Akbari A.. "The Impact of Educational Quality on Returns to Education in Pakistan ", Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Meeting (Winter - 2001)
Akbari A., Muhammed Naeem. "Educational Quality and Educational Returns in a Developing Country: Some Evidence from Pakistan", Canadian Economics Association meetings (Winter - 2000)

Conference Proceedings

Akbari Ather, Rankaduwa Wimal. "Inflation Targeting in a Small Emerging Market Economy", State Bank of Pakistan Research Bulletin Papers and Proceedings (2007 - 2007)

Other Publications

Akbari Ather. "Propensity to Naturalize and its impact on Labour Market Performance and Public Coffers in the United States of America"
Vancouver Centre of Excellence (Spring - 2007)

Service: Institutional Committees

University Review Committee on tenure and Promotions, 2009/03 - None (Member)
Departmental Committee on Master of Applied Economics program development, 1999/03 - None (Chair)
Senate's Academic Standing Committee, 1993/03 - 1995/03 (Member)
Development Committee of Economics Department , 1992/03 - None (Member)
Economics Department's library acquisitions committee, 1989/03 - 1990/03 (Member)
Departmental Committee setup for review of Part-time Faculty, 1989/03 - 1990/03 (Member)
Departmental Committee for Audio/Visual Service, 1988/03 - 1989/03 (Member)

Service: Professional or Disciplinary

Chair , Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity 2014/03 - Present
Chair , Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity 2008/03 - Present
Co-chair of Economics and labour market integration domain, Atlantic Metropolis Centre 2003/03 - 2011/03
Co-chair, Atlantic Metropolis Centre 2003/03 - 2011/03
Reviewer, Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) 1999/03 - Present
Reviewer Mansucripts, Aid to Scholarly Publications Program at the McGill- Queen's University Press 1999/03 - 1999/03
Reviewer (articles), Various Journals 1987/03 - Present

Service: Community

Citation in a White House document : Fixing Our Broken Immigration System: The Economic Benefits of Providing a Pathway to Earned Citizenship, The Executive Office of the President (U.S), The White House 2012/03 - 2012/03
Member, Autism Society of Nova Scotia 1999/03 - Present