Zahid Latif | Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (original) (raw)

Papers by Zahid Latif

Information Development, 2022

In this paper, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on economic growth... more In this paper, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on economic growth in South Asian countries is investigated during 1990-2014. For this purpose, the newly developed panel data estimation method Dynamic Seemingly Unrelated Regression (DSUR) is applied. According to the results, the impact of ICTs on economic growth remains positive in South Asian economies. In addition, education stimulates economic growth; however, foreign direct investment does not contribute to economic growth. The newly acquired result would guide policymakers and government officials to focus on the advancement of ICT for maintaining the sustainable economic growth. The findings imply that South Asian countries should raise the ICT level with proper technology education level to achieve the desired economic growth.

Human Systems Management, 2017

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invariably leverage a country's economy. In this contex... more Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invariably leverage a country's economy. In this context, information and communication technology (ICT) improvements render cloud computing (CC) both an effective and cost-efficient platform for SMEs. Statistically, multiple factors influence SMEs in their adopting CC. In the subtext of a technology, environment and organization (TEO) framework, the purposefulness of this empirical study has been to identify the most prominent factors in the CC adoption, by SMEs in Pakistan. Data were collected through convenient and quota sampling methods from 103 SMEs. Both multiple regression and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were deployed to test the measurement model. The results show that CC adoption by SMEs is positively affected by six cogent factors, namely relative advantage, CC compatibility, managerial support, firm size, competitive pressures and regulatory support. Dynamic complexity seems, however, to have a negative effect on CC adoption by SMEs in Pakistan. Also discussed are the study's implications for SME managers and researchers.

International Journal of Scientific Reports, 2017

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and is estimated to kill more than five millio... more Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and is estimated to kill more than five million people each year worldwide. If current trends persist, smoking will kill more than eight million people worldwide each year by the year 2030, with 80% of these premature deaths in low and middle-income countries. By the end of this century, tobacco may kill a billion people or more unless urgent action is taken. 1 Smoking harms nearly every organ of the human body and diminishes the general health of the smokers. Smoking causes coronary heart diseases, blood vessel constriction, and the nicotine stimulates adrenal epinephrine secretion, which increases blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, smoking is a leading cause of ABSTRACT Background: Smoking is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Smoking killed more than 6 million people, about 80% in the developing countries such as Pakistan in 2011. Now it has become major public health issue in the world. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan from July to December 2015. The data were collected using a pre-tested, selfadministered, validated questionnaire requiring information about socio-demographic characteristics, practice and patterns of cigarette smoking, knowledge about its harmful effects and attitude towards smoking control and prevention measures. Results: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among students was 49.5%. The mean age for starting cigarette smoking was 19.2±2.73 years. Cigarette smoking constituted 61.3% and shisha constituted 18.4%. The main reason for cigarette smoking was peer pressure (35.0%) followed by family influencing (24.5%). About 79.5% of the smokers had intension to quit smoking. There was no significant difference (p value=0.484) between prevalence of cigarette smoking in different faculties of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The majority of the students (84.3%) knew that smoking is harmful for their health. However, rates of non-smoking students who knew the adverse effects of smoking were significantly higher than that of students who smoke. A high rate of students showed positive attitude towards smoking prevention and control measures. Conclusions: High prevalence of cigarette smoking was reported among students. There is a need to implement an anti-smoking program among students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Utililities Policy, 2021

The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruptio... more The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruption on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions in the context of the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Panel data representing 33 Asian countries for the period 2000-2015 is analyzed. The econometric analysis employed allows cross-sectional dependency and can handle the endogeneity, autocorrelation, and heterogeneity issues in the data. The results suggest that ICT increases CO 2 emissions and that corruption also contributes to environmental pollution. Furthermore, EKC is relevant to the significance of ICT and corruption in Asian countries. The study also provides insight into the role of ICT in combating corruption to meet environmental challenges. The introduction of e-governance could be an effective tool to reduce corruption that would be beneficial to improve environmental quality in the region.

JIPS, 2021

Globalization has integrated the world through interaction among countries and people with the he... more Globalization has integrated the world through interaction among countries and people with the help of information and telecommunication technology (ICT). The rapid mode of globalization has put a new life in ICT and economic sector. The key focus of this study is to examine the nexus among the globalization, ICT and economic growth. This study uses autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL), vector error correction model (VECM) and econometric method spanning from 1990 to 2015. The empirical result highlights that the globalization stimulates economic growth of a country. In addition, both the internet penetration and the mobile phone usage contribute to the economic growth. Lastly, this article contributes important policy lessons on strengthening the economy by utilizing ICT with the rapid globalization.

J. Inf. Process. Syst., 2018

Telematics and Informatics, 2018

In the modern era of globalization, information and communication technology (ICT) are considerin... more In the modern era of globalization, information and communication technology (ICT) are considering key sectors that profoundly contribute to economic growth. Most of the economic activities, trade, and foreign direct investment are mainly dependent on modern sources of ICT.

2020 International Signal Processing, Communications and Engineering Management Conference (ISPCEM), 2020

In this paper, we build growth model that this article research need. Using the index and the pro... more In this paper, we build growth model that this article research need. Using the index and the production function model estimates the rate of contribution for the Internet resource index to GDP growth, using GM (1, 2) model to evaluate the relationship of the index of GDP and Internet resources, using GM (1, 1) model forecast the index of Internet resources, so that people can more comprehensive understanding of the emergence and development of the Internet have make an important influence on China’s Economic Growth.

During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affe... more During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affected the living standards of human beings all over the world. In the beginning of the 21st century, some of the Asian countries made reforms in the ICT sector and spent an enormous amount for the progress of this sector. On the other hand, developed countries in the European Union (EU) faced different crises which badly affected the dissemination of this sector. Consequently, EU countries lost their hegemony in the field of information technology and resultantly, some of the emerging Asian countries like China, India, and South Korea got supremacy over the EU in this field. Currently, these countries have a strong IT infrastructure, R&D sector, IT research centers working for the development of ICT. Moreover, this paper investigates reasons for the shifting of the balance of digital power from Europe to Asia.

2018 International Conference on Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (iCoMET), 2018

This In the present globalized smart ecosystem, various suggestions of using data as a new tool f... more This In the present globalized smart ecosystem, various suggestions of using data as a new tool for the development of the economy are still going on to be presented. Hence, developed countries are trying to pursue different policy measures to develop the big data industry, including promoting big data R&D sector and investment in human resources to retain the pace of this global trend. The government of Pakistan has supported liberal policies to activate the IT its applications such as big data, Internet of Things (IOT) and electronic government (e-government). We used the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model to prioritize policy measures and find out its implications for Pakistan. This study will convey an important lesson for developing countries and particularly for South Asian countries to establish policies for developing big data as a new tool for economic growth in the context of smart ecosystem environment.

Utilities Policy, 2021

The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruptio... more The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruption on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the context of the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Panel data representing 33 Asian countries for the period 2000–2015 is analyzed. The econometric analysis employed allows cross-sectional dependency and can handle the endogeneity, autocorrelation, and heterogeneity issues in the data. The results suggest that ICT increases CO2 emissions and that corruption also contributes to environmental pollution. Furthermore, EKC is relevant to the significance of ICT and corruption in Asian countries. The study also provides insight into the role of ICT in combating corruption to meet environmental challenges. The introduction of e-governance could be an effective tool to reduce corruption that would be beneficial to improve environmental quality in the region.

J. Inf. Process. Syst., 2019

Stock price is characterized as being mutable, non-linear and stochastic. These key characteristi... more Stock price is characterized as being mutable, non-linear and stochastic. These key characteristics are known to have a direct influence on the stock markets globally. Given that the stock price data often contain both linear and non-linear patterns, no single model can be adequate in modelling and predicting time series data. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model cannot deal with non-linear relationships, however, it provides an accurate and effective way to process autocorrelation and non-stationary data in time series forecasting. On the other hand, the neural network provides an effective prediction of non-linear sequences. As a result, in this study, we used a hybrid ARIMA and neural network model to forecast the monthly closing price of the Shanghai composite index and Shenzhen component index.

Internet finance was emerged in 2012 globally and currently is considered an important part of th... more Internet finance was emerged in 2012 globally and currently is considered an important part of the China's digital economy. The previous studies focused mostly on theoretical aspects of internet lending. However, the existing literature does not seem to catch up the practical implications. Based on liquidity constraints theory and intertemporal consumption model, this study analyzes the motivation of Internet lending. Secondly, it constructs the Probit model to examine empirically the influencing factors of college students' loan selection in China. The results depict that by adopting internet lending, not only the consumers' motivations are increased but also it will improve personal utility through borrowing. Moreover, consumers consider the real interest rate in addition to the transaction cost before borrowing. Finally, the paper recommends some policy implications for both the enterprise and decision makers in order to achieve a win-win situation between internet fi...

Information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly recognized as an important driver ... more Information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly recognized as an important driver of economic growth, innovation, employment and productivity and is widely accepted as a main feature of development. During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affected the living standards of human beings all over the world. In the beginning of the 21st century, some of the Asian countries made reforms in the ICT sector and spent an enormous amount for the progress of this sector. On the other hand, developed countries in the European Union (EU) faced different crises which badly affected the dissemination of this sector. Consequently, EU countries lost their hegemony in the field of information technology and resultantly, some of the emerging Asian countries like China, India, and South Korea got supremacy over the EU in this field. Currently, these countries have a strong IT infrastructure, R&D sector, IT research centers working for t...

Journal of Public Affairs

International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications

Journal of Optical Communications, 2017

The current study examines the fiber optic connectivity from Chinese boundary to Rawalpindi and p... more The current study examines the fiber optic connectivity from Chinese boundary to Rawalpindi and proposes a novel technique for carrying large capacity triple play services across China Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC). With the help of this technique, various wavelength data services can be extended to Pakistan, which can decrease the low bandwidth, poor connectivity and low speed problems of data transfer in Pakistan. This study contributes toward the existing literature in a way that this novel technique of data transmission not only relaxes the laying of fiber optic cable but also reduces the total cost of the project. The proposed technique proposes the deployment of optical frequency comb technique for 820 km CPEC route which could support 4 Tbps data. From the perspective of time energy consumption, the assessment suggests that the laying of fiber optic cable in CPEC is feasible with the existing route at the lowest cost between the two sovereign countries.

Information Development, 2022

In this paper, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on economic growth... more In this paper, the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on economic growth in South Asian countries is investigated during 1990-2014. For this purpose, the newly developed panel data estimation method Dynamic Seemingly Unrelated Regression (DSUR) is applied. According to the results, the impact of ICTs on economic growth remains positive in South Asian economies. In addition, education stimulates economic growth; however, foreign direct investment does not contribute to economic growth. The newly acquired result would guide policymakers and government officials to focus on the advancement of ICT for maintaining the sustainable economic growth. The findings imply that South Asian countries should raise the ICT level with proper technology education level to achieve the desired economic growth.

Human Systems Management, 2017

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invariably leverage a country's economy. In this contex... more Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invariably leverage a country's economy. In this context, information and communication technology (ICT) improvements render cloud computing (CC) both an effective and cost-efficient platform for SMEs. Statistically, multiple factors influence SMEs in their adopting CC. In the subtext of a technology, environment and organization (TEO) framework, the purposefulness of this empirical study has been to identify the most prominent factors in the CC adoption, by SMEs in Pakistan. Data were collected through convenient and quota sampling methods from 103 SMEs. Both multiple regression and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were deployed to test the measurement model. The results show that CC adoption by SMEs is positively affected by six cogent factors, namely relative advantage, CC compatibility, managerial support, firm size, competitive pressures and regulatory support. Dynamic complexity seems, however, to have a negative effect on CC adoption by SMEs in Pakistan. Also discussed are the study's implications for SME managers and researchers.

International Journal of Scientific Reports, 2017

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and is estimated to kill more than five millio... more Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and is estimated to kill more than five million people each year worldwide. If current trends persist, smoking will kill more than eight million people worldwide each year by the year 2030, with 80% of these premature deaths in low and middle-income countries. By the end of this century, tobacco may kill a billion people or more unless urgent action is taken. 1 Smoking harms nearly every organ of the human body and diminishes the general health of the smokers. Smoking causes coronary heart diseases, blood vessel constriction, and the nicotine stimulates adrenal epinephrine secretion, which increases blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, smoking is a leading cause of ABSTRACT Background: Smoking is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Smoking killed more than 6 million people, about 80% in the developing countries such as Pakistan in 2011. Now it has become major public health issue in the world. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 542 students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan from July to December 2015. The data were collected using a pre-tested, selfadministered, validated questionnaire requiring information about socio-demographic characteristics, practice and patterns of cigarette smoking, knowledge about its harmful effects and attitude towards smoking control and prevention measures. Results: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among students was 49.5%. The mean age for starting cigarette smoking was 19.2±2.73 years. Cigarette smoking constituted 61.3% and shisha constituted 18.4%. The main reason for cigarette smoking was peer pressure (35.0%) followed by family influencing (24.5%). About 79.5% of the smokers had intension to quit smoking. There was no significant difference (p value=0.484) between prevalence of cigarette smoking in different faculties of University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The majority of the students (84.3%) knew that smoking is harmful for their health. However, rates of non-smoking students who knew the adverse effects of smoking were significantly higher than that of students who smoke. A high rate of students showed positive attitude towards smoking prevention and control measures. Conclusions: High prevalence of cigarette smoking was reported among students. There is a need to implement an anti-smoking program among students at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Utililities Policy, 2021

The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruptio... more The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruption on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions in the context of the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Panel data representing 33 Asian countries for the period 2000-2015 is analyzed. The econometric analysis employed allows cross-sectional dependency and can handle the endogeneity, autocorrelation, and heterogeneity issues in the data. The results suggest that ICT increases CO 2 emissions and that corruption also contributes to environmental pollution. Furthermore, EKC is relevant to the significance of ICT and corruption in Asian countries. The study also provides insight into the role of ICT in combating corruption to meet environmental challenges. The introduction of e-governance could be an effective tool to reduce corruption that would be beneficial to improve environmental quality in the region.

JIPS, 2021

Globalization has integrated the world through interaction among countries and people with the he... more Globalization has integrated the world through interaction among countries and people with the help of information and telecommunication technology (ICT). The rapid mode of globalization has put a new life in ICT and economic sector. The key focus of this study is to examine the nexus among the globalization, ICT and economic growth. This study uses autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL), vector error correction model (VECM) and econometric method spanning from 1990 to 2015. The empirical result highlights that the globalization stimulates economic growth of a country. In addition, both the internet penetration and the mobile phone usage contribute to the economic growth. Lastly, this article contributes important policy lessons on strengthening the economy by utilizing ICT with the rapid globalization.

J. Inf. Process. Syst., 2018

Telematics and Informatics, 2018

In the modern era of globalization, information and communication technology (ICT) are considerin... more In the modern era of globalization, information and communication technology (ICT) are considering key sectors that profoundly contribute to economic growth. Most of the economic activities, trade, and foreign direct investment are mainly dependent on modern sources of ICT.

2020 International Signal Processing, Communications and Engineering Management Conference (ISPCEM), 2020

In this paper, we build growth model that this article research need. Using the index and the pro... more In this paper, we build growth model that this article research need. Using the index and the production function model estimates the rate of contribution for the Internet resource index to GDP growth, using GM (1, 2) model to evaluate the relationship of the index of GDP and Internet resources, using GM (1, 1) model forecast the index of Internet resources, so that people can more comprehensive understanding of the emergence and development of the Internet have make an important influence on China’s Economic Growth.

During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affe... more During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affected the living standards of human beings all over the world. In the beginning of the 21st century, some of the Asian countries made reforms in the ICT sector and spent an enormous amount for the progress of this sector. On the other hand, developed countries in the European Union (EU) faced different crises which badly affected the dissemination of this sector. Consequently, EU countries lost their hegemony in the field of information technology and resultantly, some of the emerging Asian countries like China, India, and South Korea got supremacy over the EU in this field. Currently, these countries have a strong IT infrastructure, R&D sector, IT research centers working for the development of ICT. Moreover, this paper investigates reasons for the shifting of the balance of digital power from Europe to Asia.

2018 International Conference on Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (iCoMET), 2018

This In the present globalized smart ecosystem, various suggestions of using data as a new tool f... more This In the present globalized smart ecosystem, various suggestions of using data as a new tool for the development of the economy are still going on to be presented. Hence, developed countries are trying to pursue different policy measures to develop the big data industry, including promoting big data R&D sector and investment in human resources to retain the pace of this global trend. The government of Pakistan has supported liberal policies to activate the IT its applications such as big data, Internet of Things (IOT) and electronic government (e-government). We used the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model to prioritize policy measures and find out its implications for Pakistan. This study will convey an important lesson for developing countries and particularly for South Asian countries to establish policies for developing big data as a new tool for economic growth in the context of smart ecosystem environment.

Utilities Policy, 2021

The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruptio... more The study investigates the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) and corruption on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the context of the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Panel data representing 33 Asian countries for the period 2000–2015 is analyzed. The econometric analysis employed allows cross-sectional dependency and can handle the endogeneity, autocorrelation, and heterogeneity issues in the data. The results suggest that ICT increases CO2 emissions and that corruption also contributes to environmental pollution. Furthermore, EKC is relevant to the significance of ICT and corruption in Asian countries. The study also provides insight into the role of ICT in combating corruption to meet environmental challenges. The introduction of e-governance could be an effective tool to reduce corruption that would be beneficial to improve environmental quality in the region.

J. Inf. Process. Syst., 2019

Stock price is characterized as being mutable, non-linear and stochastic. These key characteristi... more Stock price is characterized as being mutable, non-linear and stochastic. These key characteristics are known to have a direct influence on the stock markets globally. Given that the stock price data often contain both linear and non-linear patterns, no single model can be adequate in modelling and predicting time series data. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model cannot deal with non-linear relationships, however, it provides an accurate and effective way to process autocorrelation and non-stationary data in time series forecasting. On the other hand, the neural network provides an effective prediction of non-linear sequences. As a result, in this study, we used a hybrid ARIMA and neural network model to forecast the monthly closing price of the Shanghai composite index and Shenzhen component index.

Internet finance was emerged in 2012 globally and currently is considered an important part of th... more Internet finance was emerged in 2012 globally and currently is considered an important part of the China's digital economy. The previous studies focused mostly on theoretical aspects of internet lending. However, the existing literature does not seem to catch up the practical implications. Based on liquidity constraints theory and intertemporal consumption model, this study analyzes the motivation of Internet lending. Secondly, it constructs the Probit model to examine empirically the influencing factors of college students' loan selection in China. The results depict that by adopting internet lending, not only the consumers' motivations are increased but also it will improve personal utility through borrowing. Moreover, consumers consider the real interest rate in addition to the transaction cost before borrowing. Finally, the paper recommends some policy implications for both the enterprise and decision makers in order to achieve a win-win situation between internet fi...

Information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly recognized as an important driver ... more Information and communication technology (ICT) is increasingly recognized as an important driver of economic growth, innovation, employment and productivity and is widely accepted as a main feature of development. During the last couple of decades, ICT sector became the most innovative service sector that affected the living standards of human beings all over the world. In the beginning of the 21st century, some of the Asian countries made reforms in the ICT sector and spent an enormous amount for the progress of this sector. On the other hand, developed countries in the European Union (EU) faced different crises which badly affected the dissemination of this sector. Consequently, EU countries lost their hegemony in the field of information technology and resultantly, some of the emerging Asian countries like China, India, and South Korea got supremacy over the EU in this field. Currently, these countries have a strong IT infrastructure, R&D sector, IT research centers working for t...

Journal of Public Affairs

International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications

Journal of Optical Communications, 2017

The current study examines the fiber optic connectivity from Chinese boundary to Rawalpindi and p... more The current study examines the fiber optic connectivity from Chinese boundary to Rawalpindi and proposes a novel technique for carrying large capacity triple play services across China Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC). With the help of this technique, various wavelength data services can be extended to Pakistan, which can decrease the low bandwidth, poor connectivity and low speed problems of data transfer in Pakistan. This study contributes toward the existing literature in a way that this novel technique of data transmission not only relaxes the laying of fiber optic cable but also reduces the total cost of the project. The proposed technique proposes the deployment of optical frequency comb technique for 820 km CPEC route which could support 4 Tbps data. From the perspective of time energy consumption, the assessment suggests that the laying of fiber optic cable in CPEC is feasible with the existing route at the lowest cost between the two sovereign countries.

2023 International Conference on Higher Education, Culture and Business (HECB 2023), 2024

Corridors cover a part of geographical space consisting of transport routes such as roads, railw... more Corridors cover a part of geographical space consisting of transport routes such as roads, railways, and energy projects. They bring bilateral initiatives, focusing on strategic and geopolitical nodes, and highlight the infrastructure development to raise the living standard of people in both the participant countries. In this study, four broad questions are raised about the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”. First, what are the fundamental objectives behind the CPEC initiative? Second, are trade and investments considered a significant task of the project, or will it be a form of Chinese aid not based on an economic gain or loss? Third, besides China and Pakistan, what countries are likely to be the priority targets of economic cooperation? Finally, is CPEC a game changer for Pakistan, or will it be a piece of the road only from China’s border to Gwadar port? The answers to these questions may lead us to understand the objectives and actual worth of the project clearly. The CPEC initiative has sparked much debate and speculation regarding its true objectives and potential impact. Many are eager to understand whether it will truly benefit Pakistan and other countries involved, or if it is simply a strategic move by China to expand its influence in the region. As the project continues to unfold, it will be crucial to closely monitor its progress and outcomes in order to determine its actual worth and impact.