Rate My Professor Kuntal Das

Kuntal Das is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Economics and Finance in the UC Business School at the University of Canterbury. He earned his PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and holds an MA. Throughout his career at the University of Canterbury, he has progressed through academic ranks, serving in leadership roles including Head of Department and Director of the New Zealand South Asia Centre from 2019 to 2021. Das teaches a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, such as FINC344 Financial Management, FINC616 Financial Modelling, ECON643 Applied Econometric Methods, and ECON344 Money and Finance. His administrative contributions include acting as Associate Head of Department in 2022.

Das's research specializations encompass international finance, behavioral finance, international trade, economic growth, exchange rates, and financial stability. He has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in prominent journals. Notable works include 'Migration fear and stock price crash risk' (Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 2024, with Mona Yaghoubi), 'Debt finance and economic activity in the euro-area: evidence on asymmetric and maturity effects' (International Review of Economics & Finance, 2023, with Logan J. Donald and Alfred V. Guender), 'Stock liquidity and firm-level political risk' (Finance Research Letters, 2023, with Mona Yaghoubi), 'The Effect of Exchange Rates on Chinese Trade: A Dual Margin Approach' (Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 2020, with Bin Qiu and W. Robert Reed), and 'Another Look At ‘Bank Competition And Financial Stability: Much Ado About Nothing’?' (Journal of Economic Surveys, 2020, with Samangi Bandaranayake and W. Robert Reed). Additional publications cover topics like export tax avoidance, spillovers on exports, and institutions promoting growth. Das has contributed to working papers on climate sentiment-induced stock liquidity and optimal capital allocation. He received the Best Lecturer in Finance award in 2025 from the Investment Society and participated in the PhD Summer Institute in International Trade & Industrial Organisation.