CEF hosts conference on the present and future of global economy

Discussion topics included challenges facing financial markets, the global economic outlook, and the rise and fall of nations.

Sabancı University Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) held its third conference in the "The Future of Financial Markets" series with prominent Turkish and international subject matter experts.

Özgür Demirtaş, Daron Acemoğlu 

Özgür Demirtaş, Daron Acemoğlu

Sabancı University Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) established with the founding sponsorship of Akbank held the third event in its international conference series on Friday, June 28, 2019 at the Sabancı Center. Titled "The Future of Financial Markets", the conference featured prominent academics and professionals who discussed matters including challenges facing financial markets, developing countries and the global economic outlook, and the rise and fall of nations.

Introductory remarks were made by Sabancı University Chair Professor of Finance and CEF Founding Chairperson Özgür Demirtaş, Sabancı University President Prof. Yusuf Leblebici, and Akbank Board of Directors Chair Suzan Sabancı Dinçer.

Prof. Özgür Demirtaş said, “The finance sector must understand and meet the needs of the manufacturing industry. To do so, we need more qualified people. If we want Istanbul to be a financial center, we need to do what is expected of us and CEF is a crucial step in that direction,” and gave information about the accomplishments of CEF.

Yusuf Leblebici

Yusuf Leblebici

In his remarks, Sabancı University President Prof. Yusuf Leblebici said, “Established with the founding sponsorship of Akbank, the Center of Excellence in Finance is one of the most successful centers in our university, and this conference will contribute significantly to Turkish and global financial circles. Our speakers will share their valuable opinions on the challenges facing financial markets and what can be done going forward. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Suzan Sabancı and the Akbank Board of Directors for their support, and to our faculty members and esteemed speakers for the privilege of being here today. I hope everyone will find this conference useful."

Suzan Sabancı Dinçer

Suzan Sabancı Dinçer

Saying that the Center of Excellence in Finance has enjoyed great success under the guidance of Prof. Özgür Demirtaş, Suzan Sabancı Dinçer continued, “CEF became an outstanding center with its conferences, lectures and research. We at Akbank are proud of its success and the support of Sabancı University is greatly appreciated.”

Academics and professionals discussed "Challenges Facing Financial Markets"

Hakan Binbaşgil, Sir Winfried Bischoff, Prof.Dr. Dante Roscini, Tom de Swaan

Hakan Binbaşgil, Sir Winfried Bischoff, Prof. Dr. Dante Roscini, Tom de Swaan 

Following introductory remarks, the first session of CEF's Future of Financial Markets conference was a panel discussion on "Challenges Facing Financial Markets" moderated by Akbank CEO Hakan Binbaşgil. Speakers in the panel were JP Morgan Chairman Sir Winfried Bischoff, Harvard University Professor of International Economics Professor Dante Roscini ve ABN AMRO Bank NV. Supervisory Board Chairman Tom de Swaan.

CEOs discussed developing countries and the global economic outlook

Levent Çelebioğlu, Zaur Gahramanov, Muharrem Gümrah

Levent Çelebioğlu, Murat Gigin, Zaur Gahramanov, Muharrem Gümrah

The moderator of the second panel discussion, titled "Developing Countries and the Global Economic Outlook", was Akbank Executive Vice President Levent Çelebioğlu. Panelists SOCAR Turkey CEO Zaur Gahramanov, Tekfen Holding Chairman Murat Gigin and Eczacıbaşı Holding CEO Muharrem Gümrah commented on the global economic outlook in the context of developing countries from the perspective of Turkey's leading groups, and discussed possible developments in the future.

The guest of the discussion titled “The Fall or Rise of Nations" was Massachusetts Institute of Technology Elizabeth and James Killion Professor of Economics Daron Acemoğlu and the talk was moderated by Sabancı University Chair Professor of Finance and CEF Founding Chairperson Professor Özgür Demirtaş

The final event in the CEF Conference was a discussion on “The Fall or Rise of Nations" where speakers discussed recent developments and predictions with respect to regions and countries. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Elizabeth and James Killion Professor of Economics Daron Acemoğlu and Sabancı University Chair Professor of Finance and CEF Founding Chairperson Prof. Özgür Demirtaş offered different perspectives on the fall and rise of nations, and the global implications of such movements.