Porikroma Desk : On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the Department of Economics at North South University (NSU) with the help of NSU Young Economists’ Forum (YEF) hosted a research workshop titled "Conversation with an Editor of SSCI Journals". The event, which is part of the SBE (School of Business and Economics) Research Workshop Series, was held at the Syndicate Hall of North South University. The speaker was Professor Niaz Asadullah, a Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of Reading, UK, and a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Economics at North South University. He is recognized as one of the top 3% of economists in Asia according to the IDEAS RePEc authors ranking and the recipient of the top 1% global peer reviewer award from Elsevier.

During the workshop, he shared his extensive expertise in the areas of economics of education, gender, and labor as well as development studies. An Oxford-trained economist, Professor Asadullah provided invaluable insights into the intricacies of publishing in Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) journals, based on his own experience of serving as editor and advisor to a dozen SSCI journals.

The workshop was designed to raise awareness on the importance and challenges of publishing in SSCI-accredited journals as well as the perils of publishing in non-indexed predatory outlets.

Professor Asadullah opened the lecture with evidence and case studies detailing how South Asian-based academics face lower acceptance rates compared to their Southeast Asian and Western counterparts. He additionally presented a heat map to illustrate sub-regions where research and publications receive the highest appreciation and have become widely recognized.

The speaker shared tips on what to write, what to expect in the publication process and some practical strategies to see through the peer review process. One of his advice: "Please do not cut corners. Provide a point-by-point response explaining how the manuscript has been revised in response to reviewer comments. If you disagree, provide justification and summarize all changes made in a cover letter addressed to the editor."

Additionally, he discussed unconventional topics that are gaining recognition and shared tips on good practices to boost academic citation, proper credit attribution, and improving H-indexes.

Speaking about the role that universities can play, he emphasized, "Universities need to take the lead and encourage academic staffs to undertake studies on pressing social issues and in areas where government needs fresh evidence."

Emphasizing the importance of academic community culture in fostering quality research, Professor Asadullah stated, "Without an active scholarly community on and off campus, it is very difficult to attract and retain young researchers into academic research." So he praised the Department of Economics and the Department Chair Dr. Asad Karim Khan Priyo for his efforts in creating such an environment at North South University.

In the concluding ceremony, the Dean of NSU’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) Dr. Helal Ahammed reaffirmed the university's commitment to enhancing its research culture. He assured that North South University is in the process of transforming from a research-active to a research-intensive institution and this process will continue. This will involve organizing many more insightful follow-up workshops on academic writing. He also encouraged students to contribute to the Young Economists’ Forum’s publications, Equilibrium and Chronicle.

Though mainly for faculty members, the workshop attracted a large number of students who were keen to pursue a career in academic research. The event's success underscores North South University's dedication to fostering academic excellence and providing its research community with opportunities to learn from leading experts in various fields.