Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din
Head of Department / Associate Professor, Economics
Area of Interest: Child mortality; domestic violence; alternative conceptualizations of wellbeing and ill-being; human capital and economic growth; Islamic economics & finance
Tel # (Off): 111-001-007   (202)
HEC approved PhD Supervisor

Dr. Rafi Amir-ud-Din is an Associate Professor (Tenured) in the Department of Economics, COMSATS University, Islamabad (Lahore Campus). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from International Islamic University, Islamabad. His research interests focus on poverty (alternative conceptualizations of well-being and ill-being), education (environmental variability and schooling outcomes), public health (malnutrition and mortality), the economic dimension of gender-based violence (domestic violence), and energy efficiency. He has published in top-ranking journals such as Energy, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and BMJ Open. He also routinely peer-reviews for several journals, including The Lancet Regional Health. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of PlosOne. He has won several prestigious research grants, including HEC’s Research Grant Program (TRGP), National Research Program for Universities (NRPU), Grand Challenge Fund, and a research grant from SANDEE (the last two as Co-PI). He is a member of the Advisory Board of IPUMS DHS. He is also a member of the American Economic Association. He regularly contributes his columns to “The News” and conducts hands-on data analysis workshops routinely. 

 

 

Funded Projects:

Current Projects:
1. Carrot, Stick or Nudges: Testing the effectiveness of Plastic Bag Compliance Behavior in Islamabad, Pakistan (2022 - 2025) PIs: Dr. Muhammad Khan,Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din,Dr. Rao Muhammad Atif, Other Team: Dr. Sajid Amin (SDPI); Michael Price (University of Alabama); WWF; EPA;, Budget: 44,000,000, Funded By: Higher Education Commission .
2. Climate Variability and Child Schooling in Rural Pakistan (2021 - 2022) PIs: Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din, Budget: 3,096,000, Funded By: SANDEE .
Completed Projects:
1. Leaving studies because of lack of interest: An analysis of the risk factors of the school dropouts aged 10-24 years in Pakistan (2018 - 2020) PIs: Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din,Dr. Hafiz Zahid Mahmood , Budget: 532197, Funded By: Higher Education Commission .
2. Role of breastfeeding and birth spacing in reducing child mortality in Pakistan: recent evidence using DHS data (2018 - 2020) PIs: Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din,Dr. Hafiz Zahid Mahmood , Budget: 1,894,920, Funded By: Higher Education Commission .
3. Educational Apartheid in Pakistan: Economic and Social Consequences (2015 - 2018) PIs: Dr. Rafi Amir Ud Din,Dr. Hafiz Zahid Mahmood , Budget: 149,500, Funded By: Higher Education Commission .

Publications:

Book Chapters:
1. Rafi Amir-ud-Din & Faisal Abbas (2020), "Development and Women: an analysis of spousal violence against women in Pakistan", Contemporary Pakistan: Perspectives from Emerging Pakistani Scholars, published by: Routledge    (External URL)
2. Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2019), "Maqasid-ash-Shariah: Are we measuring the immeasurable?", Towards a Maqasid Al-Sharia Index of Socio-economic Development, edited by: Salman Syed Ali, published by: Palgrave Macmillan, pp: 21-53, Standard: 978-3-030-12792-3    (External URL)
Journal Papers:
1. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Muhammad Khan, Zahra Murad, Irene Mussio (2025), "Clear Waters, Bright Futures: Do Low-Cost Information Interventions Increase Health Preventive Behaviors", Health Economics, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4977, Impact Factor: 2.4    (External URL)
2. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Rubina Idrees, Javaria Farooqui, and Abdus Sattar Abbasi (2024), "Exploring spousal disparities: Age, earnings, and education as predictors of intimate partner violence in 29 developing countries", Women's Health, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241310289, Impact Factor: 2.7    (External URL)
3. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Muhammad Khan, Rao Muhammad Atif, Saliha Khalid (2024), "The paradox of plastic bag legislation: How bans and taxes affect PM2.5 air pollution in 208 countries", Heliyon, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40641, Impact Factor: 3.5    (External URL)
4. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Ramesh Kumar, Nawal Naeem, Muhammad Khan (2024), " Air pollution and under-5 child mortality: linking satellite and IPUMS-DHS data across 41 countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa", BMC Public Health, Vol: 24, Issue: 1, DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20476-y, Impact Factor: 3.5    (External URL)
5. Rao Muhammad Atif, Faraz Ahmed, Muhammad Khan, Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2024), "Behavioral insights into reusable bag adoption: Evaluating the effectiveness of the theory of planned behavior in Lahore", Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, pp: 1-24, Vol: 8, Issue: 8, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.4958, Impact Factor: 1    (External URL)
6. Sameen Zafar, Gulzar Shah, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2024), "Consanguineous Marriages and Domestic Violence against Women: Evidence from Pakistan", Journal of Asian and African Studies, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096241270683, Impact Factor: 1.1    (External URL)
7. Muhammad Khan, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Rao Muhammad Atif (2024), "Unchecked single-use persistence: Islamabad retailers’ defiance of the plastic bag prohibition", Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, pp: 1-16, Vol: 8, Issue: 7, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i7.4200, Impact Factor: 1    (External URL)
8. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Lubna Naz, Hafeez Ali (2023), "Relationship between asset ownership and women's empowerment? Evidence from DHS data from 18 developing countries", Journal of Demographic Economics, Impact Factor: 1.3    (External URL)
9. Sameen Zafar, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Anum Ali Bukhari (2023), "The Role of the Halal Food Certification on the Growth of the Islamic Economic System: A Global Review", COMSATS Journal of Islamic Finance, DOI: 10.26652/cjif.8202315    (External URL)
10. Ramesh Kumar; Rafi Amir-ud-Din; Jamil Ahmed; Muhammad Asim; Fozia Rashid; Shahzad Ali Khan; Shaukat Ali; Sathirakorn Pongpanich (2023), "Correlates of early initiation of breast feeding and prelacteal feeding: a cross-sectional study in Sindh province of Pakistan", BMJ Open, Impact Factor: 3.007    (External URL)
11. Musferah Mehfooz, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, and Sameen Zafar (2022), "Does Childhood Experience of Interparental Abuse Shape Women’s Attitude Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Their Adult Life? Evidence From 31 Developing Countries", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221123293, Impact Factor: 2.621   
12. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Sakina Fawad, Lubna Naz, Sameen Zafar, Ramesh Kumar & Sathirakorn Pongpanich (2022), "Nutritional inequalities among under-five children: a geospatial analysis of hotspots and cold spots in 73 low- and middle-income countries", International Journal for Equity in Health, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-022-01733-1, Impact Factor: 4.666    (External URL)
13. Sameen Zafar, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Rao Muhammad Atif (2022), "Waqf: An Analysis of the Global Management Practices", COMSATS Journal of Islamic Finance, DOI: 10.26652/cjif.8202315    (External URL)
14. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Hafiz Zahid Mahmood, Faisal Abbas, Ramesh Kumar, Sathirakorn Pongpanich (2022), "Association of breast feeding and birth interval with child mortality in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study using nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey data", BMJ Open, DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053196, Impact Factor: 2.692    (External URL)
15. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Hafiz Zahid Mahmood, Faisal Abbas, Verda Salman, Sameen Zafar (2021), "Leaving studies because of lack of interest: an analysis of the risk factors of school dropouts in Pakistan", Quality & Quantity, ISSN: 0033-5177, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01266-9    (External URL)
16. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Sameen Zafar, Muhammad Muzammil, Rabia Shabbir, Summaira Malik & Muhammad Usman (2021), "Exploring the Relationship Between Maternal Occupation and Under-Five Mortality: Empirical Evidence from 26 Developing Countries", The European Journal of Development Research, ISSN: 1743-9728, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-021-00458-1, Impact Factor: 2.297    (External URL)
17. Abbas, G., Ali, A., Khan, M., Mahmood, H. Z., Wahab, S. A., & Amir-ud-Din, R. (2021), "The Transition from Arid Farming Systems to Agroforestry Systems in Pakistan: A Comparison of Monetary Returns", Small-Scale Forestry, pp: 325–350, Vol: 20, Issue: 3, ISSN: 1873-7617, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-020-09470-5, Impact Factor: 1.778    (External URL)
18. Muhammad Imran Javed, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Rana Ejaz Ali Khan (2021), "Does foreign aid with political strings dampen growth in developing economies? The case of Pakistan", Pakistan Journal of Economic Studies, pp: 1-28, Vol: 4, Issue: 1, ISSN: 2708-1478    (External URL)
19. Muhammad Muzammil, Sameen Zafar, Shazia Aziz, Muhammad Usman, Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2021), "Maternal Correlates of Poliomyelitis Vaccination Uptake: Evidence from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria", American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, pp: 1301–1308, Vol: 105, Issue: 5, ISSN: 1476-1645, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0327, Impact Factor: 2.345    (External URL)
20. Masood Ur Rehman, Sameen Zafar, Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2021), "Size, Correlates and Consumption Patterns of the Middle Class: Evidence from Pakistan", Journal of Asian and African Studies, ISSN: 0021-9096, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00219096211020489, Impact Factor: 1.021    (External URL)
21. Sameen Zafar, Saima Zia, Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2021), "Troubling Trade-offs Between Women’s Work and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence From 19 Developing Countries", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, ISSN: 0886-2605, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211021961, Impact Factor: 6.144    (External URL)
22. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Lubna Naz, Aneela Rubi, Muhammad Usman & Umesh Ghimire (2021), "Impact of high-risk fertility behaviours on underfive mortality in Asia and Africa: evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys", BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Vol: 21, Issue: 1, ISSN: 1471-2393, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03780-y, Impact Factor: 3.007    (External URL)
23. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Shameem Fatima, and Shazia Aziz (2021), "Is attitudinal acceptance of violence a risk factor? An analysis of domestic violence against women in Pakistan", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, pp: NP4514-NP4541, Vol: 36, Issue: 7-8, ISSN: 0886-2605, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518787809, Impact Factor: 6.144    (External URL)
24. Muhammad Khan, Kashif Muhmood, Shumaila Noureen, Hafiz Zahid Mahmood & Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2020), "Epidemiology of respiratory diseases and associated factors among female textile workers in Pakistan", International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, ISSN: 1080-3548, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2020.1751973, Impact Factor: 2.141    (External URL)
25. Rafi Amir-ud-Din; Fatima Sajjad; Shazia Aziz (2020), "Revisiting arms race between India and Pakistan: A case of asymmetric causal relationship of military expenditures", Defense and Peace Economics, pp: 721-741, Vol: 31, Issue: 6, ISSN: 1476-8267, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10242694.2019.1624334, Impact Factor: 2.361    (External URL)
26. Rafi Amir-ud-Din; Faisal Abbas (2020), "Women's choice of delivery site and the surge in private facility-based deliveries in Pakistan: A 28-year trend analysis", Sexual & reproductive healthcare, Vol: 23, ISSN: 1877-5756, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2019.100484, Impact Factor: 2.024    (External URL)
27. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Muhammad Usman, Faisal Abbas, and Sajid Amin Javed (2019), "Human versus physical capital: issues of accumulation, interaction and endogeneity", Economic Change and Restructuring, pp: 351–382, Vol: 52, ISSN: 1573-9414, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-017-9225-2, Impact Factor: 2.472    (External URL)
28. Muhammad Usman, Waheed Akhtar, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Muhammad Qamar (2019), "Decoupling Hypothesis of Islamic Stocks: Evidence from Copula CoVaR Approach", Borsa Istanbul Review, pp: S56-S63, Vol: 19, Issue: 1, ISSN: 2214-8450, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2018.09.001, Impact Factor: 3.348    (External URL)
29. Faisal Abbas; Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2019), "Correlates of C-section in Punjab: a disaggregated analysis at the level of rural-urban residential status and place of delivery", Women & Health, pp: 997-1014, Vol: 59, Issue: 9, ISSN: 0363-0242, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2019.1587663, Impact Factor: 1.739    (External URL)
30. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Faisal Abbas, and Sajid Amin Javed (2018), "Poverty as Functioning Deprivation: Global Estimates", Social Indicators Research, pp: 1-32, Issue: 3, ISSN: 0303-8300, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1798-7, Impact Factor: 2.614    (External URL)
31. Raza, Syed Ali, Muhammad Shahbaz, Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Rashid Sbia, and Nida Shah (2018), "Testing for Wavelet Based Time-Frequency Relationship between Oil Prices and US Economic Activity", Energy, pp: 571-580, Vol: 154, ISSN: 0360-5442, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2018.02.037, Impact Factor: 7.147    (External URL)
32. Shazia Aziz, Rabia Ashraf, Huma Ejaz and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2018), "Connotative Confluence: Imagery and its functions in Shakespeare’s King Lear", Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, pp: 120-135, Vol: 21, Issue: 3, ISSN: 2223-2613, DOI: 10.5782/2223-2621.2018.21.3.120, Impact Factor: ISI Indexed    (External URL)
33. Muzammil, Muhammad; Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2018), "How do the technology transfer and trade openness affect inequality: A panel data analysis", Kashmir Economic Review, pp: 31-53, Vol: 27, Issue: 1, ISSN: 1011-081X    (External URL)
34. Abbas, Faisal, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2018), "Prevalence and determinants of Caesarean delivery in Punjab, Pakistan", Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, pp: 1058-1065, Vol: 24, Issue: 11, ISSN: 1020-3397, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26719/2018.24.11.1058, Impact Factor: 1.628    (External URL)
35. Parveen, Zainab, Maqsood Sadiq, Faisal Abbas, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2017), "Correlates of home and hospital delivery in Pakistan", The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, pp: 1166-1172, Vol: 67, Issue: 8, ISSN: 0030-9982, Impact Factor: 0.781    (External URL)
36. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Shazia Aziz and Sidra Rasool (2017), "Achieving the Objective of Interest Free Economy: Challenges and Prospects", COMSATS Journal of Islamic Finance, pp: 1-18, Vol: 2, Issue: 1, ISSN: 2519-707X    (External URL)
37. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, and Rana Ejaz Ali Khan (2017), "Democracy, Income Inequality and Economic Growth Nexus: The Case of Pakistan", Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, pp: 205, Vol: 11, Issue: 1, ISSN: 1997-8553    (External URL)
38. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, and Asad Zaman (2016), "Failures of the “Invisible Hand”", Forum for Social Economics, pp: 41-60, Vol: 45, Issue: 1, ISSN: 1874-6381, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07360932.2015.1019536, Impact Factor: 1.0    (External URL)
39. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi (2014), "From energy blues to green energy: options before Pakistan", The Pakistan Development Review, pp: 309-325, Vol: 53, Issue: 4, ISSN: 0030-9729    (External URL)
40. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi (2014), "Maqasid-ush-Shariah: Are We Measuring the Immeasurable?", Islamic Economic Studies, pp: 1-33, Vol: 130, Issue: 1562, ISSN: 2411-3395, DOI: 10.12816/0008093    (External URL)
Conference Papers:
1. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Amina Farheen, Muhammad Khan, Rao Muhammad Atif (2024) "Between Prosperity and Planet: Assessing Religious Impact on Economics and Environmental Preferences in 64 Countries", 4th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Social Sciences (ICOIASS), Islamia University Bahawalpur   
2. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Muhammad Khan, Rao Muhammad Atif (2024) "Harnessing Behavioural Interventions to Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags in Food Supply Chain", 27th annual Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad   
3. Rafi Amir-ud-Din, Hafiz Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Amin Javed, Muhammad Usman (2018) "Divisive and segregated education in Pakistan: Economic and Social Consequences", 4th National Conference on Higher Education: Higher Education and Sustainable Development   
4. Dr. Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2018) "Is a violation of women’s property rights a structural driver of women’s lack of empowerment? An analysis of DHS data from 27 countries ", The social economy of gender: Addressing challenges, seeking solutions    (External URL)
5. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Muhammad Muzammal, and Sajid Amin Javed (2017) " How inclusive is the growth in Pakistan?", SDPI’s Twentieth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC)   
6. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Shazia Aziz and Sidra Rasool (2017) "Achieving the objective of interest-free economy: Challenges and Prospects", 5th Global Forum on Islamic Finance (GFIF)    
7. Rehman, Masood Ur, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2017) "Determinants of Middle Class in Pakistan: A 11-year trend Analysis", Towards Inclusive Governance and Efficient Institutions for Sustainable Development   
8. Javed, Imran, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2017) "Does foreign aid with political strings dampen growth? An analysis of aid-growth nexus in Pakistan?", 1st Research Conference on Economy of Pakistan: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities, Department of Economics (FCCU)   
9. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Shamim Fatima, and Shazia Aziz (2017) "Does perceptions of violence matter? An analysis of domestic violence in Pakistan", International Conference on Peace, Con?ict and Violence   
10. Muzammil, Muhammad, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2017) "Role of trade openness and technology transfer-induced changes in reducing income inequality: A panel data analysis", 1st Research Conference on Economy of Pakistan: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities, Department of Economics (FCCU)    
11. Faisal Abbas, Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2017) "The Curious Case of Remittances-Education Nexus in Pakistan ", 1st International Conference on migration, integration and social cohesion at International Center for Refugee and Migration Studies   
12. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Muhammad Usman, Faisal Abbas, and Sajid Amin Javed (2016) "Human versus physical capital: issues of accumulation, interaction and endogeneity (Best paper award) ", South Asian International Conference, 2016,    
13. Sardar, Asif, Sajid Amin Javed, and Rafi Amir-ud-Din (2016) "Natural Disasters and Economic Growth in Pakistan: An Enquiry into the Floods Related Hazards ´Triad", Working Paper Series, Department of Environmental Economics.   
14. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi, Faisal Abbas, and Sajid Amin Javed (2016) "Poverty as functioning deprivation: global estimates", Transforming Economic Development: Policies and Strategies   
15. Amir-ud-Din, Rafi (2015) "Protecting the Vulnerable: The Case of IDPs in Pakistan", International Conference on Management, Education and Social Sciences Research ICMESSR 2015   

Qualification

PhD (Economics)
IIIE, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
2014
   

Experience

Associate Professor (Tenured)
COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus
May 2021 to Date
   
Columnist
The News
Sep 2019 to Date
   
Assistant Professor
COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus
Aug 2014 to May 2021
   
Disclaimer: Profiles are editable by employees who may share the data of publications, experience and education upto the extent they want to share. Also CIIT Lahore is not responsible for any display of data on personal profiles.