Niaz Asadullah received his masters and doctoral degrees in Economics from Oxford University. Currently he is a Professor of Economics at Monash University Malaysia. He has previously held visiting/academic positions at Reading, Harvard, Oxford, Kent, Manchester, Malaya, Mindanao, Chulalongkorn, BRAC and Dhaka Universities.

His research interests include development economics, economics of education, labor economics and happiness economics. Current research draws upon data from South and Southeast Asia and focuses on female workforce participation; social norms (early marriage, purdah practice etc) and women's well-being; impact of poverty programs; life satisfaction and well-being in old-age; determinants of cognitive skills; social impact of Islamic faith schools (aka madrasahs); the rise of private schools in South Asia. His research has been supported by grants from AUSAID, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), Leverhulme Trust (UK), International Growth Centre, South Asian Network of Economic Research Institutes (SANEI), UNESCO, UNU-WIDER and the World Bank.

Niaz is a co-editor of Singapore Economic Review, the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, PLOS One, and International Journal of Educational Development. He is also on the editorial board of COMPARE, Poverty and Public Policy and Journal of Public Affairs.

He joined IZA as a Research Fellow in September 2007.