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Biography
Dr. Michael Yap is currently an Associate in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). He was an Associate Professor in the Business School. He obtained his PhD in Economics from the National University of Singapore (NUS). He has previously taught in the Business School at Monash University and Taylor's University. Apart from academia, he has also worked as an economist-investment analyst in stockbroking, as well as being Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Macroeconomics and Forecasting Division in the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, an independent economic think-tank. Dr. Yap also has consultancy experience and has worked as Manager in the Economics Department of the Malaysian central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). He was a Visiting Fellow in the Economics Division, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. He is also a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
Teaching Summary
Dr. Michael Yap has lately taught the following courses in Nottingham University Business School:
- Introduction to Economics
- Economic Principles
- Firm Strategy and Internationalisation
- Business Economics
He has also taught in the following areas: international business environment, international trade, international economics, Malaysian economy, monetary economics, and money and banking.
Research Summary
Dr. Michael Yap's research interests are in the areas of monetary policy, macroeconomics, foreign direct investment, international trade, development and the Malaysian economy. Some of his current… read more
Current Research
Dr. Michael Yap's research interests are in the areas of monetary policy, macroeconomics, foreign direct investment, international trade, development and the Malaysian economy. Some of his current research projects are in the areas of FDI in Malaysia, manufacturing productivity in Malaysia, monetary policy, and international trade.
Past Research
Some of Dr. Yap's past work involved consultancy. Selected projects include the following:
1. Second Industrial Master Plan (IMP2) 1996-2005: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) commissioned the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) as lead consultant in developing the IMP2. The Plan charted the strategic directions for industrial planning in the next ten years in Malaysia. Group Leader for rubber-based industries and also participated in the advanced-materials group.
2. Project on Knowledge-Based Economy: As part of a private sector consultancy team in 2003 for a public sector project on the 'Knowledge-Based Economy'. The work involved constructing and analysing relevant indices related to the 'New Economy' for a number of countries in the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) region. This formed part of the whole study entitled 'Preparing Human Resources for the New Economy', which was conducted under the APEC Human Resource Development Working Group. The study was coordinated by the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department.
3. Long-Term Economic Projection for electricity generating company: As part of its long-term planning exercise, an electricity generating company employed various methodologies to determine short, medium and long-term electric load forecasts. Crucial to these projections are the assumptions on economic growth in the country and the various sectors under alternative scenarios. To strengthen and refine the end-use energy and electricity demand models, the company commissioned MIER to provide economic forecasts at a sufficient level of disaggregation over a ten-year rolling period under various scenarios. Team Leader and Co-Principal Researcher.
4. Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Study: This project studied the effects of new and seasoned issues on the liquidity of the stock exchange. Of particular concern was the impact of new listings and rights issues on trading volume. This was especially evident in 1990-91 with a sharply higher number of new equity issues corresponding with a decline in the trading volume on the exchange. This happened despite the buoyant economy. In view of this, it was important to obtain some insight into the correlation of new and rights issues with market liquidity.
5. Forecasting Passenger Car Demand: A private sector company commissioned MIER to maintain an econometric model for passenger car demand for short-term and long-term forecasting. The total industry forecast was disaggregated into the various engine categories. Estimated price and income elasticities of demand were used for marketing strategies. The project also involved conducting a survey of car owners to obtain a better understanding of the car market in terms of customer profile, purchasing power and market tastes. Co-Principal Researcher and Project Manager.
6. Study on Japanese Economic Co-operation with Malaysia: Commissioned by the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) in Japan, the main objective of the study was to assess and re-examine the nature and methods of economic co-operation the Japanese have been providing, particularly official development assistance (ODA). The study covered six areas - (i) analysis of the National Development Policy (NDP) which was embodied in the Second Outline Perspective Plan (OPP2) 1991-2000, and the Sixth Malaysia Plan 1991-95 which covered the first half of the OPP2; (ii) analysis of macroeconomic trends in Malaysia; (iii) trends of direct investment and future tasks; (iv) direction of privatisation and related problems; (v) manpower development; and (vi) desirable ways of regional co-operation.