Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Banking and Finance hosted the 9th edition of the International Conference on Baking and Finance Perspectives (ICBFO’2026) on 22-23 October 2026, organized with the theme of “Digital Finance: Cryptocurrencies, Fintech and CBDCs” and with the sponsorship of Cyprus Turkish Cooperative Central Bank (KoopBank).
The conference, attended by experts from 17 countries, addressed topics including digital finance, cryptocurrencies, financial technologies, and central bank digital currencies. A total of 50 papers were presented across 10 sessions held as part of the conference.
The conference, co-chaired by Prof. Dr. Nesrin Özataç and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nigar Taşpınar, commenced with an opening ceremony held on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the EMU Senate Room. The opening ceremony was attended by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Parliament Member Teberrüken Uluçay, Undersecretary of the TRNC Prime Ministry’s State Planning Organization Mehmet Ağa, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç, EMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Osman Karatepe, EMU General Secretary Derviş Ekşici, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics Prof. Dr. Mustafa Besim, department chairs, academic staff members, and representatives from the banking, trade, insurance, and industrial sectors.
Delivering a speech at the opening ceremony, EMU Faculty of Business and Economics Dean Prof. Dr. Mustafa Besim stated that the conference, featuring its ninth edition this year, had become a tradition for the Department of Banking and Finance. Prof. Dr. Besim noted that the conference enabled them to closely follow academic developments in the field of banking and finance. Emphasizing that digital finance had been selected as this year’s conference theme due to its status as one of the most rapidly evolving areas in the sector, Prof. Dr. Besim explained that the 50 papers presented at the conference were grouped under four main themes: 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, Prof. Dr. Besim stated that approximately 1,850 students were enrolled in 41 academic programs offered across four departments. Prof. Dr. Besim concluded his remarks by thanking everyone who contributed to the organization of the conference, as well as the Cyprus Turkish Cooperative Central Bank for its support, and expressed his wishes for a successful conference.
EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç highlighted the importance of trust, security, transparency, and accountability in the future of digital finance, noting that digitalization has transformed numerous areas, ranging from payment habits to access to financial services. Stressing the need to evaluate the opportunities and risks associated with cryptocurrencies, financial technologies, and central bank digital currencies in light of scientific evidence, Prof. Dr. Kılıç underscored the significant responsibilities universities bear in this transformation process. He further stated that EMU aims to expand international academic collaborations, strengthen knowledge exchange between academia and the financial sector, and equip students with the knowledge and competencies required for the future.
Following the opening speeches, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç presented plaques to the conference’s keynote speakers, Prof. Dr. Erhan Aslanoğlu and Prof. Dr. Anis Samet.
The two-day conference featured both in-person sessions and online sessions conducted via Microsoft Teams. Following the opening speeches, one of the conference’s keynote speakers, Prof. Dr. Erhan Aslanoğlu, delivered a presentation titled “Banking and Finance in an Age of Global Uncertainty” in the EMU Senate Room.
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 Friday, 23 October 2026, the second day of the conference, at 10:00 a.m. in Room BEA-5 of the EMU Faculty of Business and Economics.
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 in Scopus and Web of Science. Bringing together academics from around the world, the conference provides an academic platform for discussing the latest developments in digital finance, financial technologies, and central bank digital currencies.
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