M. Najeeb Shafiq

Professor, CIES Executive Director

M. Najeeb Shafiq is Professor of Education, Economics, and International Affairs.

He uses large data sets, advanced quantitative methods, and traditional and behavioral economics to understand education and political economy issues in low- and middle-income countries. His articles have appeared in economics, education, and international development outlets including American Journal of EducationEconomics of Education ReviewEducation EconomicsEducation Policy Analysis ArchivesInternational Journal of Educational DevelopmentJournal of Conflict ResolutionJournal of Education FinanceJournal of Development StudiesJournal of International DevelopmentPeabody Journal of EducationResearch in Higher Education, and World Development. For free access to his research papers, please visit his official Pitt website: sites.pitt.edu/~mnshafiq

Since Fall 2019, Professor Shafiq has served as the Executive Director of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), which is the largest and oldest of 47 comparative and international education associations around the world. He leads the CIES Office of the Executive Director at the University of Pittsburgh (OED@Pitt) with colleagues from the School of Education and the University Center for International Studies. His past administrative positions include serving as Department Chairperson (2016-19). Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh in 2010, he earned his PhD in Education and Economics from Columbia University and held appointments at the World Bank, Washington and Lee University, and Indiana University at Bloomington. He is married to Nazia Farzin Shafiq, with whom he has three daughters, Airah, Manal, and Nazeeba.

Representative Publications
  • Shafiq, M. Najeeb and Alexandria Valerio (2021). The roles of childhood circumstances and schooling on adult reading skills in low- and middle-income countries. PROSPECTS: Quarterly Review of Comparative Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09541-1.
  • Fasih, Tazeen, Harry Patrinos and M. Najeeb Shafiq (2020). University educated workers and their ability to deal with COVID-19 and future shocks. IZA World of Labor, July.
  • Sun, Lunxuan, M. Najeeb Shafiq, Maureen McClure, and Sisi Guo (2020). Are there educational and psychological benefits from private supplementary tutoring in Mainland China? Evidence from the China Education Panel Survey, 2013 – 2015. International Journal of Educational Development 72C.
  • Shafiq, M. Najeeb, Robert Toutkoushian and Alexandria Valerio (2019). Who benefits most from higher education in low- and middle-income countries? Journal of Development Studies 55(11), pp. 2403-2423.
  • Shafiq, M. Najeeb, Amanda Devercelli and Alexandria Valerio (2018). Are there long-term benefits from early childhood education in low- and middle-income countries? Education Policy Analysis Archives 26(122).
Research Interests
  • The social and non-monetary benefits of education (including the effects of education on civic, moral, political, and socioemotional outcomes)
  • Education, poverty, and social mobility in low- and middle-income countries
  • Human capital decisions during childhood (schooling, labor and play), adolescence and adulthood (education and labor)
  • Education reform (including educational vouchers and privatization, early childhood education, and higher education)