Three-Day workshop on Software for Economics Research

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School of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad organized a workshop in collaboration with HEC titled “3 Days workshop on Software for Economics Research” from September 3, 2012 to September 5, 2012.

Main objective of the workshop was to introduce statistical tools available in Econometrics software Eviews, RATS, and Stata. The use of these software is increasing day by day in qualitative as well is in quantitative research. A better understanding of software will enable researchers to conduct a research of good quality. Various experts in the field of Econometrics have given training to students and researchers that how to use software for data analysis in Economics, Finance and Management Sciences.

Among these three days, first day was allocated to Eviews, second day to RATS, and third day to Stata. During these three days various underlying econometric techniques of the software were discussed in detail. Among the resource persons: Prof. Dr. Eatzaz Ahmad and Dr. Tahir Mahmood gave lectures for Eviews; Dr. Wasim Shahid Malik and Dr. Muhammad Jamil for RATS; Dr. Abdul Jalil and Dr. Muhammad Idrees for Stata.

The targeted participants of the workshop were the faculty members, PhD and MPhil students, and other researchers. Overall, fifty-eight representatives from thirteen different universities/Institutes including University of Gujrat (UOG), The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), Forman Christiran College Lahore (FCC), Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology (FUUAST), International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Muhammad Ali Jinnah University (MAJU), Gordon College Rawalpindi (GCR), Govt. Degree College(W) Multan (GCM), and University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) participated in the workshop. Among these participants, there were 2 Associate professors, 3 Assistant professors, 9 Lecturers, 10 PhD Students, 25 MPhil students, and 9 MS students, from the universities/ institutes mentioned above. It is also worth mentioning that three head of Economics departments from distinct universities, Dr. Shabib Haider, Head of Economics Department, FCC Lahore, Dr. Atif Ali Jaffri, Head of Economics Department, UOG-Gujrat, and Dr. Muhammad Ali Bhatti, Head of Economics Department, Gordon College, Rawalpindi participated in this workshop. Moreover, Dr. Taqadus Bashir, Assistant Professor-IIUI, Dr. Verda Salman-Assistant Professor-NUST, and Dr. Faisal Mehmood Mirza, Assistant Professor-UOG were also among the participants.

Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Vice Chancellor QAU, Islamabad was the chief guest in the closing ceremony. He appreciated the efforts from the faculty of School of Economics for conducting the workshop. He suggested that QAU should take up the role of capacity builder for empirical research in various institutes. He assured the participants that such events in QAU Islamabad will continue in future on regular basis. Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai distributed certificates and shields to the participants and resource persons of the workshop. At the end, Prof. Dr. Eatzaz, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences gave a vote of thanks to the participants, resource persons and the chief guest Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai.