Abdul Malek Mohammad

Associate Professor

By training and practice, Dr. Abdul Malek is an agriculture and development economist and mostly conducts evidence-based policy-making research including randomized control trials (RCTs) in the field of agricultural microcredit, climate-smart agricultural technology (e.g. system of rice intensification), sustainable agricultural mechanization, and other policy relevant emerging issues. In recent years, where conducting RCTs is challenging, his interest is to create long-term panel data being matched with information from administrative data/web-based big data sources and policy interventions to conduct the effectiveness of the interventions. He adopts state-of-the-art `program evaluation techniques` from micro econometrics including quasi-experimental and non-experimental methods and machine learning solutions for the empirical policy analyses. In the changing context, he follows neo-normal project management to implement field experiments and digital survey solutions to conduct household surveys in developing countries. With more than 12 years post PhD experience, he has 22 years of working experience in policy-oriented research with an INGO (BRAC), action research with a government autonomous academy (BARD, Comilla), and academic research/teaching in the field of Agriculture and Development Economics, Program Evaluation, and South/Southeast Asian Economics with several well-known think tanks/Universities including the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, the University of Bonn and the University of Tsukuba. He implemented research projects as both PI and Co-Is with International donors including ADB, ADBI, JSPS, 3ie, IGC, Gates Foundation, DFAT, etc. He has a high-quality publication track record including with Asian Development Review (Forthcoming), American Journal of Agricultural Economics (2022 and 2019), World Bank Economic Review (2021), Journal of Development Economics (2020), Journal of Productivity Analysis (2019), and Technology in Society (2017), among others. He is also competent to present research in front of policymakers, international academic societies, and popular media. He is currently affiliated with several professional societies including the Asian Society for Agricultural Economics (ASAE) as one of the Executive Committee Members. He is founding Coordinator for Network of Bangladeshi Researchers in Japan (nbrj.jp). He is also supporting an NGO (gdri.org) and start-up company (noyaborga.com) through his research projects.

Major Research Projects

Institutional Innovation for sustainable mechanical rental service for resource-poor farmers

As Principal Investigator with Kazushi Takahashi (GRIPS), Yuko Nakano (University of Tsukuba), Yoko Kijima (GRIPS), and Yukichi Mano (Hitotshubashi University). JSPS-Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kiban B No. 22H02443) Amount: JPY 151,40,000 JPY. Duration (2022-04-01 - 2024-03-31).

Technology (ex-ante) assessment and farm household segmentation for inclusive poverty reduction and sustainable growth in agriculture (TIGA)

Project funded by BMGF. Involved in project team at ZEF, Bonn with Joachim von Braun and Franz W. Gatzweiler and PI for Bangladesh study team. (May 2012-Dec 2014) Grant amount: USD 105,500.

Technology adoption and food security in rural Bangladesh

Project funded by IGC worked as co-PI (PI for Bangladesh study team) with Asad Islam, Christopher Barrett, Marcel Fafchamps and Debayan Pakrashi. (Feb 2014-Dec 2015, Grant amount: AUD 102,000).

Why does seemingly promising agricultural technology not spread?

Findings from a large randomized controlled trial. Involved with Kazushi Takahashi, Yuko Nakano, Yoko Kijima, and Yukichi Mano. JSPS-Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kiban A No. 20H00075) Amount: JPY 44,850,000. Duration (2020-04-01 - 2025-03-31)

Impacts of COVID-19 on Rural Households in Bangladesh

Funded by ADBI. Involved in a project team at ADBI, Tokyo with Tetsushi Sonobe and Peter J. Morgan. (April 2021-Ongoing).

Impact evaluation of credit program for tenant farmers

Worked as Lead PI with funding from International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) with Mahabub Hossain and Narayan Das. (August 2011-April-2015). Grant amount: USD 0.75 million.

AG-WATSAN Nexus (RCT) Study

Project funded by BMGF. Involved in a project team at ZEF, Bonn with Joachim von Braun and Nicolas Gerber and PI for Bangladesh study team. (April 2014-Dec 2015). Grant amount: EURO 43,200.