Economic Impact of Muslim Communities in Alberta: Northern Alberta

Scope of the Study: Northern AlbertaThe primary objective of this study is to explore the Economic and non-Economic contribution of the Muslim community in Northern Alberta. The Muslim community has been around for a long time and has been growing in all aspects – not only in numbers but also in all facets – business, profession, income contribution, social and political processes, etc. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the community in the greater society of Alberta. This project is expected to do that.The outcome of the study is to create a comprehensive report – perhaps in two parts – a technical part with details [much more hard facts and figures for academic, official, and professional use] and a promotional part [for the general audience].This subproject will aid in the main project through the collection of data. A semi-structured or combined structure and non-structure questionnaire will be used for this part. Structured data will provide quantitative figures to develop charts, graphs, and other visual means. It will also provide an opportunity for statistical analysis and numerical comparisons. The non-structured component will allow supporting the quantitative information through further in-depth information.Qualification of the students: Must be familiar with Muslim culture and community as well as the contemporary society of Alberta. High peoples and communication skills are essential. Experience in conducting surveys would be an asset.Location: Northern Alberta, North of Red Deer [Edmonton, Lac La Biche, Fort McMurray, Grand Prairie, etc.].

Economic Impact of Muslim Communities in Alberta: Southern Alberta

The primary objective of this study is to explore the Economic and non-Economic contribution of the Muslim community in Southern Alberta. The Muslim community has been around for a long time and has been growing in all aspects – not only in numbers but also in all facets – business, profession, income contribution, social and political processes, etc. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the community in the greater society of Alberta. This project is expected to do that. The outcome of the study is to create a comprehensive report – perhaps in two parts – a technical part with details [much more hard facts and figures for academic, official, and professional use] and a promotional part [for the general audience].This subproject will aid in the main project through the collection of data. A semi-structured or combined structure and non-structure questionnaire will be used for this part. Structured data will provide quantitative figures to develop charts, graphs, and other visual means. It will also provide an opportunity for statistical analysis and numerical comparisons. The non-structured component will allow supporting the quantitative information through further in-depth in-depth information. Qualification of the students Must be familiar with Muslim culture and community as well as the contemporary society of Alberta. High peoples and communication skills are essential. Experience in conducting surveys would be an asset.Location: Southern Alberta, Red Deer, and south [Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge].

Level UP: Contributions of Muslims to local and provincial economy

Positions available: 3 studentsMuslim population in Canada is growing at an increasing rate, and Pew Research Center forecasts Canada’s Muslim population to exceed over 2.5 million by 2030. Alberta is getting relatively higher proportion of such population because of its expanding economy. Many Muslims work high-skill and high-education professions, i.e., medicine, dentistry, engineering, etc. It is important to understand the nature of jobs Muslims do and the economic contributions they make for appropriate policy formulations. Through this project, we plan to document the contribution of Muslim population of Edmonton and Alberta to society, economy, science, technology, and others.We expect the project will have impact in many areas. On the business side, this will be of use to businesses, especially for businesses catering to Muslims, i.e., halal restaurants, groceries, butcher-shops, slaughterhouse, and farms; banks, credit unions, mortgage-brokers for lending money to Muslims; tourism industry, private parks and recreation facilities, etc. It will also be useful to governments of all three levels – municipal, provincial, and federal for appropriate regulatory measures and policy formulations.Methods:This project extensively involves collecting data – primary and secondary data, and relevant literature. A set of questions will be developed for primary data and an inventory will be created for gathering secondary data. This will require simultaneous and continuous involvement. Three students will be working independently or in sequence.Primary data gathering – 60 hoursPrimary data tabulating and recording – 20Secondary data gathering – 40 hoursSecondary data tabulating, manipulating & descriptive analysis – 40 hoursSearching literature and preparing bibliography – 35Preparing a short review – 45 hoursQualifications of Student Research Assistants – preferably an advanced senior student in Economics or Statistics with sufficient understanding of (1) primary data collection, (2) data downloading from internet sites, (3) data conversion, manipulation, and processing in Excel, (4) proficient in library search and development of a review paper. Good interpersonal and writing skills are essential.

Dynamics of Energy Demand in Bangladesh

The total primary energy consumption in Bangladesh increased from 0.06 Exajoules in 1972 to 1.64 Exajoules in 2019, a huge expansion. Per capita energy use increased even more, from 0.09 Gigajoules in 1972 to 10.1 Gigajoules in 2019, as the graph shows below. More interestingly, the per capita energy use increased faster than total energy consumption and is increasing at an increasing rate. The sudden decrease in 2020 is due to the reduced economic activity resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic, which does not reflect the long-run trend.With the rapid economic growth in Bangladesh, the energy requirement is expected to keep going up. The challenge of adequate energy commensurate with the requirement of economic growth is a cause of concern for a country like Bangladesh as it is highly dependent on imported energy and is increasingly becoming more dependent on imports. Currently, nearly two-thirds of the county’s energy supply comes from domestic production of natural gas the reserve of which is declining rapidly. Almost a quarter of the energy is met by oil, which is entirely imported.The use of energy is an important indicator for social, economic, and infrastructural development as well as standard of living. The extent of energy consumption often gets related to the economic development [growth of GDP] and lifestyle of a society. Although the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth has not been without dispute, it is well accepted in the scientific community that they are interlinked. It is likely that the demand for energy will continue to increase with the economic development of Bangladesh. During the past couple of years, total energy consumption in Bangladesh increased by over 10 percent a year.Along with the increase in GDP, energy demand has increased, and the mode of energy production and consumption has changed. Mujeri et al (2014) observe in other developing countries that consumption of energy rises quickly when per capita income reaches between the US $1000 and $10000. A quick increase in energy demand in Bangladesh is expected as its per capita income is within this range. This situation is compounded by rising population density and rapid urbanization. The population density in Bangladesh is 1123 people per square km compared to 25 in the world and 36 in the USA. Bangladesh is certainly way behind the amount of energy it needs to offer a lifestyle of a middle-income country. In 2019-20, nearly 92.2 percent of the total population could access electricity. However, the analysis shows that the forecasted and actual energy demand is consistent with little gaps in years from 2005 to 2014.The purpose of this project is to:Forecast the consumption of energy [energy demand] up to the end of the next decade 2035.There are different methods of energy demand forecasting. Our objective is to:Develop a mathematical model of the annual energy consumption of Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 [data available from 1972].Develop a mathematical model based on data on column C [Energy consumption] and predict the energy consumption of the country up to 2035.Develop a mathematical model for energy consumption [Column C] based on itself and all other variables provided and then predict the energy consumption up to 2035.Our objective is to develop two models as described above. The first one is a univariate model with the assumption that energy consumption is independent and depends on past consumption only. The second model assumes that energy consumption depends on many variables [use all the variables provided – first use GDP and population and then add all the rest of the variables]. Of course, predict the energy consumption of the country up to 2035 based on this model.Compare and contrast the model and its prediction.Prepare a report describing the entire methods and procedures.