Dr. Monika Islam Khan is an Assistant Professor for the Economics Department at the College of Humanities and Public Affairs. Dr. Khan currently teaches Introduction to Macroeconomics and will begin teaching Money and Banking in the spring.
Dr. Khan completed her Bachelor of Science in economics at North South University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She then decided to leave her home country and pursue a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Kentucky.
After finishing her Ph.D. in 2021, Khan moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, where she taught at Amherst College. After a year at Amherst College, Dr. Khan moved to Springfield, Missouri, to teach at Missouri State.
Dr. Khan decided to study economics as she found it sophisticated and intellectually satisfying. She wanted to be able to analyze the problems happening around her. When the financial sector was doing poorly, Khan wanted to understand what was happening and what needed to be done to fix it.
Dr. Khan’s major fields of study are macroeconomics and international economics. Growing up in Bangladesh influenced her areas of study.
“When you grow up in a country with lots of poverty, you start thinking about what you can do to help. Which got me interested in macro,” explained Dr. Khan.
Research
Dr. Khan’s areas of research mirror her areas of study. She has conducted research in macroeconomics and international economics, primarily focusing on economic growth and trade.
A current paper Dr. Khan is working on examines the effect of financial development on international trade and economic growth. In looking at the differential impact of the stock market and banking sector on international trade, Dr. Khan examines which factor is more important for influencing trade.
When she used all of her countries, the results were not as clear as she thought they would be. After dividing them into developing and developed countries, she was better able to examine the relationship.
Dr. Khan found that developed countries are more reliant on the stock market. In developing countries, however, international trade increased more. She believes this could be because of their reliance on the banking sector due to not having very sophisticated stock markets.
“In the 1980s and 90s international organizations like the IMF put a lot of work into developing stock exchanges in developing countries, but they still relied on banking, so there was not a lot of use in opening the exchanges. This was part of my dissertation, and I am still working on it,” explained Dr. Khan.
Missouri State
In spring 2023, Dr. Khan will be teaching Introduction to Macroeconomics and Money and Banking. Money and Banking will focus on the relationship between the economy and money and banking.
Dr. Khan enjoys bringing real-world examples into the classroom, and you will be sure to find that in her classes next spring. Seeing how much students enjoyed doing something real inspired her to integrate it into all of her classes.
“I want to show them that it is not just a class but the real world,” said Dr. Khan.
Dr. Khan enjoys being in close proximity to students and the energy they bring to learning. Being able to share the knowledge she learns is one of her favorite things about being a professor.
“When I do research I gain more knowledge, but then I am filled with this knowledge and want to give it back out,” said Dr. Khan.
Explore Economics Courses Offered at MSU
Outside of Missouri State
Upon moving to Springfield, Dr. Khan was most surprised by the selection of stores and food options.
“When I thought about moving to Springfield, I imagined a small town and not a lot of shops,” explained Dr. Khan.
She is happy with the diversity of cuisines and restaurants and is excited to explore what the city has to offer. On her weekends, Dr. Khan enjoys traveling and looks forward to being able to see the area.
When Dr. Khan is not at work, she enjoys cooking and baking and loves trying out new recipes. She also enjoys relaxing and finding a good television show to sit down to.
Learn More
If you would like to hear more from Dr. Khan, she will be speaking to the Economics Club during the Fall 2022 semester. The Economics Club meets every Monday in Strong 303 at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to drop in or email Economics Club president, James Norman, at James218@live.missouristate.edu for more information.