09/06/2016
The first conference of the Center of Excellence in Finance discussed the Future of Financial Markets
The Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) established by Sabancı University with the support of Akbank held its first conference titled
“Developed and Developing Economies: The Future of Financial Markets” in Istanbul.
The first conference of the Sabancı University Center of Excellence in Finance established with the founding sponsorship of Akbank to achieve excellence in finance was held on Friday, June 3, 2016 at the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul.
CEF was established to organize certificate programs, seminar series, workshops and conferences as well as issue research reports targeting a wide audience that includes academics, finance professionals, manufacturing economy and individual investors, and brought together representatives from the manufacturing and finance sectors, policymakers, academics and students in its first conference. Speakers in the conference included prominent figures in finance such as Professor Turan Bali, Dr. Josef Ackermann, Suzan Sabancı Dinçer, Lord Stephen Green, Professor Dante Roscini, Dr. Til Schuermann, Professor Cliff Holderness, Sir Winfried Bischoff and Professor Larry Summers. Representing Turkish businesses were Vodafone Turkey CEO Gökhan Öğüt, TAV Airports Board Member and CEO Mustafa Sani Şener and Shell & Turcas Petrol A.Ş. CEO Felix Faber.
CEF’s first event concluded with a closing conference by former US Secretary of the Treasury, Professor Lawrence Summers.
“We strive to create economic value for Turkey”
In her introductory remarks, Akbank Board of Directors Chair and Managing Director Suzan Sabancı Dinçer said, “We are tremendously excited about this joint project by Akbank and Sabancı University. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for sharing our excitement and being with us here today." Sabancı continued, "Akbank has been in the banking industry since 1948. With 900 branches, 14 thousand employees, 15 million clients, assets over 90 billion dollars and a book value above 10 billion dollars, we are one of the key actors in Turkey, where we strive to create economic value.
Besides contributing to the economy as an institution, we support Turkey in achieving its goals and invest in corporate social responsibility projects. Education, entrepreneurship, culture and arts are our priorities in enabling Turkey to reach its 2023 objectives and we spend considerable effort in these areas. We are gathered here for the inaugural conference of CEF - an organization that is precious and instrumental to us in education. This is a collaboration between our group's bank and university.
They have joined forces to have better trained and better equipped individuals in finance. Istanbul is the starting point of our anticipated CEF project. We hope to expand this organization nationwide thanks to the use of technology in the years to come."
"Finance is where applied mathematics, economics and political science meet and are tried by the future of individuals and the society"
Also speaking in the opening of the conference, Sabancı University President Professor A. Nihat Berker said, "Finance is where applied mathematics, economics and political science meet and are tried by the future of individuals and the society. As Sabancı University, we are delighted to be a part of CEF in this extremely important activity. Our stake in this organization aligns perfectly with the philosophy of our university to serve the individual and the society while aiming for excellence in the most challenging of environments. We are especially happy that CEF serves the industry, the academic community -faculty as well as students- and an entire region with forward-thinking, innovative and effective processes across a variety of disciplines."
“CEF will provide world-class finance education with globally recognized instructors"
Sabancı University Finance Chair Professor Özgür Demirtaş said, “CEF will act as a bridge between financial and manufacturing industry representatives, academics, policymakers, bureaucrats and students. CEF will provide world-class finance education with globally recognized instructors. This will be where the best in finance meet. I hope that we will serve Turkey well."
The Future of Global Financial Markets
The session of the conference titled "The Future of Global Financial Markets" was moderated by Akbank Board of Directors Member and General Manager Hakan Binbaşgil, featuring speakers Lord Stephen Green, former Minister of State for UK Trade and Investment, former Deutsche Bank Board Member Dr. Josef Ackermann and JP Morgan Securities Board of Directors Chair Sir Winfried Bischoff.
Turkish Private Sector and the New Era
The afternoon session on "Turkish Private Sector and the New Era" was moderated by Sabancı University Finance Chair Professor Özgür Demirtaş, and speakers were Shell & Turcas Petrol A.Ş. CEO Felix Faber, Vodafone Turkey CEO and TAV Airports Board Member and CEO Mustafa Sani Şener.
The advisory board of the Center is composed of globally-renowned individuals
CEF brings academics, industry leaders, public bodies and investors together to transform fundamental knowledge into applications with real-life relevance. The advisory board of the Center is composed of globally-renowned individuals in each of the above sectors. CEF Advisory Board includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Economics Professor Daron Acemoğlu, Former Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann, Akbank Board of Directors Chair Suzan Sabancı Dinçer, Former Minister of State for UK Trade and Investment Lord Stephen Green, Harvard Business School Management Professor Dante Roscini, and Former US Secretaries of the Treasury Robert Rubin and Professor Larry Summers.
