Hichem Saidi | Econometrics and Finance | Best Research Article Award

Hichem Saidi | Econometrics and Finance | Best Research Article Award

Prof Hichem Saidi, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University Deanship of Scientific Research, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Hichem Saidi is an accomplished Associate Professor of Economics and Quantitative Methods at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia. He is also affiliated with the University of Manouba, Tunisia, where he has served as a prominent educator and researcher in quantitative economics. With a solid academic background and prolific scholarly output, Dr. Saidi has contributed significantly to the fields of financial and energy economics, econometrics, and development studies. He holds leadership positions in postgraduate programs such as the M.Sc in Data Science and the MBA in Risk and Insurance Management. His work bridges theoretical modeling and policy-relevant economic analysis, especially within the MENA and GCC regions. Dr. Saidi’s research is widely published in Q1 and Q2 journals, reflecting his scholarly impact. In addition, he plays a critical role in developing academic curricula and guiding doctoral candidates, helping shape the next generation of economic and financial researchers.

Publication Profile

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Education

Dr. Hichem Saidi has pursued an exceptional academic path with a focus on economics and quantitative methods. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics with High Distinction in 2013 from the University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia. He earlier completed his M.Sc in Mathematical Economics and Econometrics from the same university in 2008, equipping him with advanced technical and econometric tools. In 2019, he was granted the Habilitation for Supervising Doctoral Research by the University of Manouba, marking his qualification to mentor Ph.D. students. In 2021, he successfully passed the highly competitive Agrégation in Quantitative Methods, awarded by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, distinguishing him as a top-ranking academic in his field. This educational foundation has paved the way for his current leadership in academic programs and research across multiple domains of economics and finance.

Experience

Dr. Hichem Saidi brings over a decade of rich academic experience. Since 2021, he has served as an Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods at the University of Manouba, Tunisia, and is currently affiliated with the Department of Economics, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia. He previously held the position of Assistant Professor from 2015 to 2021 at the same Tunisian institution. From 2011 to 2015, he worked as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Tunis El Manar and the University of Manouba. He is also the Head of M.Sc in Data Science and MBA in Risk and Insurance Management at ESCT, Tunisia, and the Research Cell Coordinator since 2015. His commitment to education is evident in his involvement with various graduate and undergraduate programs, curriculum development, and academic supervision, fostering innovation and excellence in economics and data science education.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Hichem Saidi has earned numerous academic accolades throughout his distinguished career. In 2021, he was the Laureate of the Agrégation in Quantitative Methods, one of the most prestigious academic competitive exams organized by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education. This honor highlights his superior competence in teaching and research in economics and quantitative disciplines. In 2019, he achieved his Habilitation from the University of Manouba, granting him the authority to supervise doctoral dissertations, a significant milestone in the academic hierarchy. His doctoral work received High Distinction, underscoring his early academic excellence. Additionally, Dr. Saidi’s extensive publications in ABDC and Q1/Q2 journals reflect global recognition of his research, making him a respected voice in financial, institutional, and energy economics. These distinctions attest to his scholarly influence, educational leadership, and commitment to advancing economic thought both in the MENA region and internationally.

Research Focus

Dr. Hichem Saidi’s research is rooted in quantitative and empirical economics, with an emphasis on financial economics, energy economics, and development finance. His work frequently explores the relationships between financial development, institutional quality, and economic growth, particularly in the MENA and GCC regions. He applies advanced econometric techniques such as panel cointegration, panel VAR, simultaneous equation models, and structural breaks to uncover nuanced policy-relevant insights. His studies address themes like financial inclusion, climate risk, corporate social responsibility, and natural resource rents, reflecting a strong intersection of sustainability and economic performance. Dr. Saidi also investigates the effects of technological advancement, renewable energy, and governance structures on macroeconomic outcomes. His research is often collaborative and published in peer-reviewed international journals, contributing significantly to the literature on emerging economies, financial stability, and sustainable development. He also supervises doctoral students in related themes.

Publication Top Notes

  1. 📘 Exploring the Relationship Between Board Characteristics and Non-Performing Loans: A Comparative Analysis Across GCC and Non-GCC Countries – International Journal of Financial Studies (2025)

  2. 📘 Climate Risk and Bank Performance: What Role does Corporate Social Responsibility Play? – International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy (2025)

  3. 📘 Do Board Characteristics Promote Corporate Social Responsibility? An Empirical Analysis for European Companies – Journal of Risk and Financial Management (2025)

  4. 📘 Does Financial Inclusion Affect Non-Performing Loans and Liquidity Risk in the MENA Region? – Economies (2025)

  5. 📘 Natural Resources Rent and Bank Stability in the MENA Region: Does Institutional Quality Matter? – Risks (2025)

  6. 📘 Do Financial Market Openness and Stock Market Returns Drive Economic Growth in GCC Countries? – International Journal of Financial Studies (2025)

  7. 📘 On the Technology-Growth Relationship: Does the Institutional Quality Matter? – Journal of Knowledge Economics (2023)

  8. ⚡ Financial Development, Electricity Consumption, and FDI in the GCC Countries: GMM Panel VAR Insights – Energy Sources, Part B (2022)

  9. 📊 Threshold Effect of Institutions on Finance-Growth Nexus in MENA Region – Economics Bulletin (2020)

  10. 🌱 Institutions in the Renewable Energy-Growth Nexus in the MENA Region – Environmental Modeling and Assessment (2020)

  11. 📉 Instability of Tunisian Money Demand: Empirical Issues with Structural Breaks – Journal of Quantitative Economics (2019)

  12. 🔁 Governance, Institutions, Financial Liberalization and Economic Growth using PSTR Model – Panoeconomicus (2017)

  13. 💹 Capital Account Liberalization and Economic Growth with Structural Breaks – Economics Bulletin (2016)

  14. 🌍 Democracy and Economic Growth in MENA Countries – Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences (2015)

  15. 🌐 Capital Account Liberalization, Institutions and Economic Growth – Journal of Business Studies Quarterly (2014)

  16. 🌎 FDI, Portfolio Investment, and Growth in Developing and Developed Economies – Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business (2011)

  17. 🔓 Capital Account Liberalization and Economic Growth: GMM System Analysis – International Journal of Economics and Finance (2010)

Natalia Nesterenko | Econometrics and Finance | Best Research Article Award

Natalia Nesterenko | Econometrics and Finance | Best Research Article Award

Dr Natalia Nesterenko, The Russian State Pedagogical University, Russia

Natalia Nesterenko, Ph.D., is a distinguished Associate Professor specializing in industrial economics and finance at The Herzen University, Saint Petersburg. With an academic foundation from Saint Petersburg State University, she has dedicated over two decades to education and research in economic development, sustainable agriculture, and enterprise economics. She has served in key academic roles including Deputy Head at the Chair of Economy of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at SPbSU. Natalia has also supervised the Master’s Program “Economy of Firm and Innovative Activities” and contributed as an expert for the World Bank in the Eurasian Centre of Food Security. Her work actively bridges academia and policy, particularly in organic agriculture and sustainable economic strategies. Natalia has represented Russian academia in numerous global conferences and has published extensively on the economic, institutional, and technological dimensions of sustainable development. She speaks English and German and currently resides in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Publication Profile

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Education

Natalia Nesterenko holds a Ph.D. (Candidate of Economic Sciences), earned between 2001–2005. Her academic journey began at Saint Petersburg State University, where she studied from 1996 to 2001 at the Faculty of Economics, majoring in the Economy of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Prior to her university education, she completed her secondary schooling from 1986 to 1996 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. Her doctoral studies laid a strong foundation for her specialization in sustainable development, enterprise management, and agribusiness. Natalia’s formal education is deeply rooted in Russia’s premier academic institutions, giving her a robust theoretical and practical grounding in economic sciences. Her continued commitment to education is also evident in her involvement in global training programs, such as the World Bank-sponsored training in Food and Nutrition Policy at Lomonosov Moscow State University. These academic experiences have shaped her research and teaching trajectory in both Russian and international contexts.

Experience

Natalia Nesterenko began her academic career in 2002 as an assistant at the Chair of Economy of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Saint Petersburg State University (SPbSU). She was promoted to senior lecturer in 2006 and later to associate professor in 2008. From 2008 to 2021, she also served as Deputy Head for Scientific Activities within the department. In 2020, she became the supervisor of the Master’s Program “Economy of Firm and Innovative Activities” at SPbSU. The same year, she worked as an expert with the World Bank at the Eurasian Centre of Food Security. Since 2021, she has held the position of Associate Professor at the Chair of Industrial Economics and Finance at The Herzen University. Her teaching focuses on cost management, food security, and enterprise economics. Natalia’s professional journey reflects her dedication to merging economic theory with practical, policy-oriented approaches in both academia and consultancy roles.

Awards and Honors

While specific award titles are not explicitly listed in the CV, Natalia Nesterenko’s selection as an expert for the World Bank at the Eurasian Centre of Food Security in 2020 reflects high-level recognition of her expertise. Additionally, she has been frequently invited to speak at prestigious international conferences, such as the International Sustainable Development Research Society Conferences in Portugal, Hungary, China, and Colombia, highlighting her respected international academic presence. Her role in supervising graduate programs at Saint Petersburg State University and The Herzen University underscores her leadership within academic institutions. Furthermore, her participation in training programs organized by Lomonosov Moscow State University and sponsored by the World Bank emphasizes her global engagement and acknowledgment by international organizations. These roles and invitations stand as significant professional honors that validate her contributions to sustainable economic policy, organic agriculture, and international collaboration in economic education and research.

Research Focus

Natalia Nesterenko’s primary research focuses on sustainable development, particularly within agribusiness and organic agriculture. Her studies examine institutional and regional strategies for transitioning toward sustainability in agricultural practices in Russia and other BRICS countries. She explores comparative food systems, the role of digital technologies, and cost management strategies to enhance organic food supply chains. Nesterenko also delves into mergers and acquisitions as they relate to enterprise economics, offering insights into organizational behavior and economic policy reforms. Her publications frequently address the barriers and prospects of achieving sustainable agricultural systems in Russia, Germany, and other nations, with emphasis on regional differentiation and resource allocation. She advocates for organic agriculture’s integration into national policies and supports the Organic 3.0 model, promoting environmentally responsible innovation. Her research serves as a vital link between academic insight and practical policymaking, influencing both national agricultural strategies and global discourse on sustainability.

Publication Top Notes

  • 📘 Perspectives and Barriers to Achieve Sustainable Agriculture in the BRICS Countries (2024)

  • 📙 Sustainable development of organic agriculture: Strategies of Russia and its regions in context of the digital economy (2020)

  • 📗 Sustainable agriculture: development prospects in Russia (2019)

  • 📘 Comparative characteristics of the organic food market in Russia and Germany (IOP, 2019)

  • 📗 Prospects for the development of sustainable supply chains of organic food in Russia (2018)

  • 📘 Organic Agriculture in Russia: Ways to Ensure Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Challenges (2017)

  • 📙 Forming a strategy for sustainable development of organic agriculture in Russia based on regional differentiation (2017)

  • 📗 Organic agriculture in Russia: conditions for the transition to a sustainable development trajectory (2016)

  • 📘 Convectional and Organic Agriculture: Comparative Efficiency and Sustainable Development (2015)

  • 📙 Economics of Innovative Changes and its Organizational and Institutional Support (2013, co-author)