METU ECON Newsletter 2015

Department of Ec onomics Newsletter Spring 2015 A Letter from the Chair... St u de n ts , Par e nts , A l u m ni, Co l l e ag u es , a n d Fri e nds , It ’s har d to b e l ie v e t h a t we ha v e f i n is he d an o th er ac a d em ic ye ar ; an d a g a in t im e we nt b y s o q u ic k l y. I t ’ s r ef res hi n g t o l ook b ac k o n a no t he r b us y ye a r, t o s e e a l l th e n e w de v e l opm en ts i n t he De p artm en t of Ec on o m ic s at M id d le E as t T ec h n ic a l U n i ve r s it y. W e hav e h ire d t wo ter rif ic n e w f ac u l t y m em bers t h is ye a r. Mü rü v v et B ü yük b o ya c ı o bt a i ne d her P h. D. at o ne of t he wor l d ’s l e ad i n g e duc a t i on a l i ns ti t ut i ons , C a l if orn i a I ns t i tu t e of Ec on om ic s . Dr. B ü yük b o yac ı ’s res e arc h f oc us es on A pp l i ed M ic r oec o no m ic s , B eh a v io ra l Ec on om ic s , an d Ex per im en t a l Ec on o m ic s . O nur K os k a wh o work s o n In ter n at i o na l T rad e was a ls o s e lec t ed t o j o i n o ur f ac u lt y. Dr. K os k a rec e i v ed h is P h. D. f r om the U n i ver s it y of O t a go , Ne w Z e l an d a nd has b ee n wi t h t he U n i ve rs i t y o f T u bi n g en s i nc e t he n . In a d di t io n t o o ur n e w f ac u lt y, we h a v e a n e w de p artm en t s ec r e tar y, Çi ğ dem Ö zk an . W e ar e g l ad to ha v e th em a ll i n our de p art m ent. S e ver a l s e ni or f ac u l t y m em bers h a ve re t i red t h is ye a r: Pr of .Dr . A ys ı t T ans e l, Pr of . Dr . G ü zi n Er l at , Pr of . Dr . H a l is Ak der , P rof . Dr . F ik ret Şe ns es a nd Pr of . Dr. Er o l Çak m ak . It is r ea l l y h ar d t o i m agi ne o ur d e pa rtm ent wi t ho u t o ur r et ir i ng f ac u lt y m em be r s ; we ar e i n de b te d t o t h em f or th e ir c o n tr ib ut i ons to o ur d ep ar tm en t o v er th e ye a rs . F ort un a te l y, we wi l l c on t in u e to b en ef i t f r om th eir ex p e rtis e t h ro u g h c ours e o f f erin g s an d i nf orm al ga t her i n g s in t he d ep ar tm ent . P rof . Dr . F ik ret Ş ens es an d Pr of . Dr . A ys ı t T a ns e l wi l l c on t in u e t o t eac h t h e ir gr a du at e c las s es . T o h on or our r et ir i n g f ac u l t y m em bers we h ad a r et ir em ent par t y wh er e Pr of es s or s O k tar T ür e l, Ze hr a a nd H a luk K as n ak oğ l u a nd Yak u p K ep e nek par t ic ip a te d as we l l . W e hope to f ol l o w i n our em eri t us f ac u l t y’ s f o ots te ps an d a im f or h ig h ac a d em ic s t a nd ar ds i n t eac h i ng a n d r es ea rc h. As f ac u lt y of M i d dl e E as t T ec h nic a l Un i v ers i t y we are ver y pr o ud t o le t yo u k n o w t ha t M ET U was r ank e d 3r d i n t h e “ B RI CS & Em er g i n g Ec on o m ies R a nk in gs 2 01 5” , re le as ed b y t h e T im es H ig h er E duc at i o n (T HE) . I n a dd i t io n M ET U was s e l ec t e d as th e m os t in n o va t i ve u n i vers i t y i n T urk e y i n 20 1 4 b y T Ü BİT A K . M ET U was a ls o lis t ed i n t h e “W orld T op 1 0 0 U n i v ers it i es ” in t he “W orld Re p ut at i on Ra nk i ngs ” , r el e as ed b y t he T im e s H i g her E duc a t io n in 20 1 2, 20 1 3, a nd 20 1 4 an d was a ls o ra nk e d 85 t h am ong t h e to p 4 0 0 i n th e “W orld U n i v ers it y R an k ings 2 0 14 - 2 0 15” , r e l eas e d i n O c to b er. I n 9 d is c i p li n es M ET U has be e n l is t ed am ong t h e to p 2 0 0 un i v ers it i es i n t he