She holds a PhD in Economics from University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia. Her research focuses primarily on Economic Policies, Sustainable Development, Food Security and Islamic Banking & Finance, and it has been published in various refereed journals. Dr Hela has consulting experience with African Development Bank Group, Awqaf New Zealand and IDEA-Consult Tunisia. She serves on the editorial and review committee of several international journals. She is a member of The Middle East Economic Association (MEEA) and a research fellow at The Economic Research Forum (ERF).