My research lies at the intersection of applied microeconomics, macroeconomic systems, and international economics, with a focus on how economic structures, financial constraints, and policy environments shape individual behavior and broader economic outcomes. I am particularly interested in questions of inequality, human capital formation, and the role of economic systems in shaping access to opportunity. Within this broader framework, I am increasingly focused on the economics of education, particularly how financial constraints and institutional design influence educational investment decisions and transitions into postsecondary systems across diverse economic contexts.
My publication record spans peer-reviewed journals and international conferences and reflects sustained engagement with macroeconomic and development-oriented issues, including financial sector reforms, banking efficiency, monetary policy, capital markets, financial robustness, inequality, innovation ecosystems, and South–South economic relations. Across this work, my focus has been on understanding how financial systems and macroeconomic conditions shape economic outcomes and inequality across global contexts.
A significant milestone in my academic career was receiving a government research grant from the Ministry of Higher Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to study the financing of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This work provided important insights into how financial constraints influence investment behavior and economic participation in emerging markets, reinforcing my broader interest in decision-making under financial constraints.
Following this period, my academic trajectory was shaped by a phase of transition and relocation, during which my research activities were temporarily paused as I focused on professional and personal reestablishment in Canada. This period also served as a point of reflection and consolidation, during which I refined my current research direction toward education-focused economic inquiry.
Building on this foundation, my current research agenda is centered on the economics of education, with a focus on how financial constraints, incentives, and policy environments shape educational investment decisions, access to postsecondary education, and inequality in human capital formation. I approach these questions through applied microeconomic and macroeconomic frameworks, with attention to both national and comparative international contexts.
In parallel, I maintain a broader interest in how macroeconomic systems, financial structures, and development dynamics interact with education systems, particularly in shaping inequality and access to opportunity across countries. This includes examining how global economic forces influence education systems and labor market transitions in diverse institutional environments.
Additionally, I am developing academic resources grounded in foundational economic theory and applied analysis, supporting both teaching and scholarly engagement. These efforts reflect my commitment to bridging theory, pedagogy, and applied economics in meaningful ways.
My research agenda is ultimately aimed at producing work that is analytically rigorous and socially relevant, contributing to economic scholarship, policy understanding, and educational practice in global contexts.
Shailly Nigam 