P
rof. Semih Koray of the Department of Economics was one of three recipients of the Academic Service Plaque awarded by Türkiye Ekonomi Kurumu (the Turkish Economic Association) this year. The award ceremony was held online over Zoom, on December 11.
The Turkish Economic Association was founded through the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1929, with the aim of lessening the devastating effects of the Great Depression. The Academic Service Plaque was instituted by the association to honor exceptional academic achievements and consistent service to the economics community and society at large.
Prof. Koray has been a member of the Bilkent Department of Economics since 1992. The bulk of his research is in the field of game theory and economic design.
“His academic contributions develop our understanding of the relationship between social goals and the incentive schemes induced by social organizations,” said Asst. Prof. Kemal Yıldız, one of Prof. Koray’s colleagues in the department. “Continuing the legacy of the late Prof. Murat Sertel, his dedicated mentorship to countless students has been the building block of a strong Turkish tradition in economic theory.
“Prof. Koray’s distinguished service to the economics community – for instance, the organization of the Bosphorus Workshop on Economic Design, which has been gathering economists from all over the world for 40 years – is a source of inspiration.”