Dr Bawani Lelchumanan

Dr Bawani Lelchumanan

  • Senior Lecturer
Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics
  • Sunway Business School
SDGs Focus

Biography

Dr Bawani Lelchumanan is a Senior Lecturer at Sunway Business School. She holds a PhD in Economics from the National University of Malaysia (UKM), a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PCHEP) from Sunway University, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA, UK).
 

She is a recipient of a competitive Erasmus+ grant under the Jean Monnet programme, leading an EU-funded teaching module that brings European labour market policy into the classroom, encouraging comparative perspectives between the EU and emerging economies.
 

Her research focuses on labour economics and migration studies, exploring how migrant labour market policies shape workforce outcomes in emerging economies. She applies quantitative modelling to evaluate the economic impact of labour and migration reforms, and is trained in Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling from the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS) at Victoria University, Australia. Her broader research interests span labour market segmentation, migration policy, and structural economic adjustment.
 

Beyond academia, Dr Bawani collaborates with government ministries and institutional partners on national policy initiatives, bridging rigorous quantitative research with practical, policy-relevant recommendations.

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy Economics, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia (2021)
  • Master in Economics, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia (2017)
  • Bachelor of Economics, University of Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Malaysia (2015)
  • FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), Advance HE, UK
  • Postgraduate Certificate of Higher Education (PCHEP), Sunway University, Malaysia (2024)

Research Interests

  • Labour Market Dynamics
  • Economics of Migration

Teaching Areas

  • Economics
  • Finance

Courses Taught

  • Econometrics
  • Quantitative Methods for Economics and Finance
  • Introductory Economics
  • International Financial Management
  • Investment Management
  • Input-Output and Computable General Equilibrium methods

Notable Publications

  1. Liew, Y.W., Goh, A., Joseph, J., & Lelchumanan, B. (2025). RMK 13 Evaluation Report. ASEAN Research Center (ARC), Asia School of Business.
  2. Thaker, H.M.T., Lelchumanan, B., Ah Mand, A., & Khaliq, A. (2024). Push – Pull- Mooring Determinants of Non-Muslims’ Withdrawal from Islamic Banking: Malaysian Evidence. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management. [SJR: Q2; ABDC: B].
  3. Singh, M. K. H., Lelchumanan, B., Sulaiman, N., & Anwer, Z. (2024). The Role of the Health-Care Sector in Malaysia's National Economy: An Input-Output Analysis. Journal of Economic Cooperation & Development, 45(3) - [SJR: Q2]
  4. Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) & Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Intellectual Property Portfolio. (2020). Copyrights on Source Code Computable General Equilibrium model representing Malaysian labour market and economy.
  5. Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) & Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Intellectual Property Portfolio. (2020). Copyrights – Survey on foreign labour in Malaysia.
  6. Sulaiman, N., Ismail, R., Saukani, N. & Lelchumanan, B. 2020. Skilled labour demand in Malaysian construction sector, Journal of Sustainability Science and Management (JSSM) Vol. 16, No. 4. (SCOPUS Q4). 
  7. Sulaiman, N., Lelchumanan, B., & Ismail, R. 2020. Workforce Requirements in Malaysia’s Construction Sector, Malaysian Labour Review. Vol.14, No.1. (Ministry of Human Resource & Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis: Malaysia).
  8. Lelchumanan, B., Ismail, R & Sulaiman, S. 2019. Manpower Requirements for Selected Services Subsectors in Malaysia: An Input-Output Analysis, International Journal of Economics and Management, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 179-191. (SCOPUS Q3)
  9. Chapters in book. Lelchumanan, B & Sulaiman, N. (2022). Migrasi Global dan Pekerja Asing di Malaysia. UKM Press.

Achievements & Accolades

  • Jean Monnet Module Grant [ERAMUS+] - European Commission [2025 – 2028]
  • Student Appreciation of Teaching Award for Undergraduate Programmes [2025], Sunway University
  • Dean’s Award for Research Excellence [2025], Sunway Business School
  • Dean’s Commendation for Research [2023], Sunway Business School
  • Dean’s Commendation for Service [2023 & 2024], Sunway Business School
  • Graduate on Time Award for Doctoral Degree [2021], Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Professional Associations

  • The International Input-Output Association (IIOA), since 2021