EMU Department of Banking and Finance Holds 9th International Conference on Banking and Finance Perspectives

Hosted by Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Banking and Finance, and sponsored by the Turkish Cypriot Cooperative Central Bank, the 9th International Conference on Banking and Finance Perspectives (ICBFP'2026) was held between 22-23 October 2026 under the main theme of "Digital Finance: Cryptocurrencies, Financial Technologies and Central Bank Digital Currencies".

The conference, attended by experts from 17 countries, addressed topics such as digital finance, cryptocurrencies, financial technologies, and central bank digital currencies. A total of 50 papers were presented across 10 sessions held during the conference.

Co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Nesrin Özataç and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nigar Taşpınar, the conference commenced on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at 10:00 AM with an opening ceremony held at the EMU Senate Room. The opening was attended by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) MP Teberrüken Uluçay, Undersecretary of the TRNC Prime Ministry State Planning Organisation Mehmet Ağa, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç, EMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Osman Karatepe, EMU Secretary General Derviş Ekşici, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics Prof. Dr. Mustafa Besim, department heads, faculty members, and representatives from the banking, commerce, insurance, and industrial sectors.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Besim, Dean of the EMU Faculty of Business and Economics, noted that the conference, now in its ninth year, has become a tradition for the Department of Banking and Finance. Prof. Dr. Besim stated that thanks to the conference, they closely follow academic developments in banking and finance. Emphasizing that this year's theme was chosen as digital finance, the fastest-changing area in the sector, Prof. Dr. Besim expressed that the 50 presented papers were gathered under four main headings: digital finance, fintech, crypto assets, and artificial intelligence; banking, financial stability, and monetary policy; capital markets, portfolio management, and behavioral finance; and sustainable finance, climate risk, and energy economics. Providing information about the faculty as well, Prof. Dr. Besim mentioned that they provide education to approximately 1,850 students across 4 departments and 41 programs. Prof. Dr. Besim expressed his gratitude to those who contributed to organizing the conference and to the Cooperative Central Bank for its support, wishing the conference great success.

EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç drew attention to the importance of trust, security, transparency, and accountability in the future of digital finance, stating that digitalization has transformed many areas from payment habits to access to financial services. Prof. Dr. Kılıç emphasized that the opportunities and risks presented by cryptocurrencies, financial technologies, and central bank digital currencies should be evaluated in the light of scientific data, stating that universities assume significant responsibilities in this transformation process. Prof. Dr. Kılıç noted that as EMU, they aim to develop international academic collaborations, strengthen knowledge exchange between academia and the finance sector, and educate students with the knowledge and competencies required for the future.

Following the opening speeches, plaques were presented by Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç to the keynote speakers of the conference, Prof. Dr. Erhan Aslanoğlu and Prof. Dr. Anis Samet.

During the two-day conference, online sessions were held via Microsoft Teams alongside in-person sessions. Following the opening speeches, one of the keynote speakers, Prof. Dr. Erhan Aslanoğlu, met with participants in the Senate Room with his presentation titled “Banking and Finance in an Age of Global Uncertainty”.

Another keynote speaker, Prof. Dr. Anis Samet from the American University of Sharjah, delivered his presentation titled “How Banks Respond to Changing Interest Rates: New Evidence and Emerging Challenges” on the second day of the conference, Friday, 23 October 2026, at 10:00 AM in hall BEA-5 of the EMU Faculty of Business and Economics.

Papers to be published by international publishing house

Following a separate peer-review process, the papers presented at the conference will be published in the Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics series, indexed by Scopus and Web of Science. The conference, where international academic participation stood out, featured current developments in digital finance, financial