Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Isaac Chilima

Biography and Professional Achievements

Within a year of completing his undergraduate, Dr. Isaac Y. Chilima began his professional career in Malawi as a junior lecturer. He was soon promoted and appointed head of economics department overseeing two senior lecturers and three professors. Within three years of his tenure, he wrote three course modules in microeconomics, public finance and introduced transport economics. He co-initiated the establishment of a peer-reviewed journal of commerce and development studies. He also co-initiated and facilitated data analysis training programs, which led to the establishment of an IBM-certified business, Bintel Analytics Malawi.

During his five-year post-graduate studies in Japan, Chilima taught a master’s course in development economics, and also served as an English teaching assistant. He volunteered for the World Economic Forum and served at the 2015 Japan meeting. He also volunteered for an NPO, Seibo Japan, and participated in various cultural exchange initiatives to help grow the fund for school feeding programs in Malawi to over $140,000 a year. Chilima was also trained by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and served at the 2015 Tokyo love celebration as an alter call counselor.

Chilima’s life purpose is to help people with the Word to develop a true and intimate relationship with God. He is particularly passionate about helping the kingdom to help new converts get a proper start to eternal life through repentance of sins, faith in Christ, baptism in water, and in Spirit (see Acts 2:38, Hebrews 6:1). Chilima served as a young adults’ Bible study teacher for two years at Blantyre Baptist Church in Malawi, and two years at Yokohama International Baptist Church in Japan, before transitioning to lead the men’s Bible study group for three years, where he saw several turn to follow Christ and get baptized.

He continues to engage his peers, study theology, teach and answer Bible or faith questions in his social circles and media platforms, while serving at CCU integrating his economics background, business practice, and passion for the Word of God in the classroom. Chilima and his wife, Lucy, live in Lakewood. Together, they enjoy traveling, dining out, and spending as much time with students as they can.

Research, Honors, and Awards

• Published author in professional peer reviewed journals; Yokohama Journal of International Social Sciences, Journal of Commerce and Development Studies, and various conference proceedings.
• Best Presenter Award – AAR16 Economics and Finance Conference – New York, 2016
• Best Paper Award – Society of Interdisciplinary Business Research – Hong Kong, 2015
• Special invitation to present research on tax reforms at the Institute of Developing Economies – Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO) Seminar – Tokyo, 2015
• Two University President’s Awards for outstanding academic performance – Japan, 2015, 2016
• Best Essay Award – “Why Wait? Truth for Youth” – Malawi, 2010