Dr. Alok Kumar

Dr. Alok Kumar received his PhD from Queen’s University. His areas of interest are macroeconomics and development economics.

He has made major contributions on the issues related to inflation, entrepreneurship, productivity growth, and child labor and human capital in developing countries. He has published in leading journals such as International Economic Review and Review of Economic Dynamics.

Interests

• monetary issues
• growth and development
• gender bias and human capital investment
• foreign aid

Faces of UVic Research video

In this video, Alok talks about his research work looking at gender bias and human capital investment.

Courses

• ECON 329, Development and Economics
• ECON 351, Mathematical Economics II: An Introduction to Dynamic Methods
• ECON 401, Advanced Macroeconomic Theory
• ECON 406, Monetary Economics
• ECON 420, Theory of Economic Development
• ECON 501, Macroeconomic Analysis
• ECON 506, Monetary Theory and Policy
• ECON 520, Economic Development
• ECON 552, Macroeconomic Issues

Selected publications

(for complete list, check Dr. Kumar's website):

• Kumar, A., forthcoming (2019). "Subjective Household Income Risks and Schooling Investment in Rural India," Journal of Developing Areas.
• Kumar, A., 2018. "Subjective Income Expectation and Risks in Rural India," Journal of Developing Areas, forthcoming.
• Kumar, A. and Shergill, K., 2018. "The Dynamics of Rural Non-Farm Employment in India," Indian Journal of Labour Economics, forthcoming. doi: 1007/s41027-018-0112-9.
• Kumar, A., 2018. "Income Risks and Schooling Investment in Rural Bihar," Ideas for India, International Growth Centre, United Kingsom, available at http://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/human-development/income-risks-and-schooling-investment-in-rural-bihar.html.
• Kumar, A. and Saqib, N., 2017. "School Absenteeism and Child Labour in Rural Bangladesh," Journal of Developing Areas51(3), 299-316.
• Kumar, A., 2016.  Foreign Aid, Incentives and Efficiency: Can Foreign Aid Lead to the Efficient Level of Investment? Review of Development Economicsdoi: 10.1111/rode.12278.
• Kumar, A., One more year of schooling or work: Grade-transition and child labor in rural Bangladesh, Journal of Developing Areas49(3): 27-48.
• Kumar, A.,"Preference Based Vs. Market Based Discrimination: Implications for Gender Differentials in Child Labor and Schooling", Journal of Development Economics, 2013, 105, 64-68.
• Kumar, A.& W. Chan, "Health, Education, and the Dynamics of Cross-Country Productivity Differences", Applied Economic Letters, May 2013, 20(12), pp 1160-64.
• Kumar, A., 2012. Self-Employment, Efficiency Wage, and Public Policies , Economic Inquiry50(4): 1069-1079.
• “Urbanization, human capital, and cross-country productivity differences” with Brianna Kober, Economic Letters, 2012, to appear.
• “Market Power, Price Adjustment, and Inflation’’, with Allen Head and Bev Lapham, February 2010, International Economic Review, 51(1),73-98.
• “Inflation and the Dispersion of Real Wages’’, May 2008, International Economic Review, 49(2), 377-399 (Lead Article).
• “Capital Tax, Minimum Wage, and Labor Market Outcomes’’, January 2008, Review of Economic Dynamics, 11(1), 133-154. Among the hottest twenty-five articles published in Review of Economic Dynamics.
• "Price Dispersion, Inflation, and Welfare”, with Allen Head, May 2005, International Economic Review, 46(2), 533-572. Among top ten most cited papers published in International Economic Review during 2005-08.

Books:

• “Governance,  Social and Physical Infrastructure, and Development’’ , Editors: Alok Kumar & Adam Scott, September 2011, Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrucken, Germany, ISBN 978-3-8454-7658-2
• "Monetary, Fiscal, and Labor Market Policies in Frictional Economies", April 2010, Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrucken, Germany, ISBN 978-3-8383-4828-5.

Book Chapters:

• Kumar, A., 2015. Samaritan's Dilemma, Time-Inconsistency and Foreign Aid: A Review of Theoretical Models. Chapter 6 (pp.64-81) in Handbook on the Economics of Foreign Aidedited by B.M. Arvin and B. Lew. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
• "Taxes, Minimum Wage and the Dispersion of Wages”, in Taxation, Tax Policies, and Income Taxes, Ed. W.J. Berube and C. N. Pinto, Nova Sciences Publishers, NY, February 2010,  ISBN-10: 160741623.