First International Scientific Conference on The Monetary Policies in The Balkan Region, The Future of The Euro and Eurozone in The Balkans

The First International Scientific Conference on the Monetary Policies in the Balkan Region, the Future of the Euro and Eurozone in the Balkans was held at the UNWE. The two days Forum was organized by the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy at UNWE. The event was financed by the UNWE project (R&S Activity -12 / 2015). At the opening of the Conference attended the Rector Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Nikolay Nenovsky, Director of the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Plamen Oresharsky, Prime Minister (since May 2013 to August 2014), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Chobanov, deputy, Financial Minister (since 2013 to 2014), Gordon Kerr, banking expert, consultant at the Cobden Partners, United Kingdom, Chief Assist. Dr. Radostin Vazov, Executive Director of the University of Finance, Business and Entrepreneurship – co-organizer of the event, scientists and specialists from some Bulgarian and foreign universities.

During the opening of the Conference. From the right to the left: Gordon Kerr, Prof. Nikolay Nenovsky, Assoc. Prof. Pencho Penchev, Prof. Statty Stattev, Assoc. Prof. Plamen Oresharsky, Assoc. Prof. Peter Chobanov, Chief Assist. Radostin Vazov

We are proud of being a host of this Conference organized by the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy at UNWE. We are glad to meet representatives of the academic world from several countries, outlined Assoc. Prof. Pencho Penchev, Deputy Dean of the General Economics Faculty and Deputy Director of the Center, moderator of the Forum.

In the Large Conference Hall

The Rector Prof. Statty Stattev emphasized to foreign participants on the fact that the UNWE is the largest university in the country having 21 434 students, the national leader in the higher education which has been given the highest assessment by the National Agency of Assessment and Accreditation, the university which has prepared six Prime Ministers, six Foreign Ministers and fourteen Financial Ministers. Since its establishment 95 years ago the UNWE has always prepared the national elite, pointed out the Rector.

Prof. Stattev is greeting the participants in the Forum.

Prof. Stattev greeted the idea of opening the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy and expressed his confidence in the importance of the International Conference.

The Executive Director of the University of Finance, Business and Entrepreneurship Radostin Vazov expressed his thankfulness to Prof. Nenovsky  for the opportunity given the University of Finance, Business and Entrepreneurship for being a co-organizer of the event and shared his hope that the Forum would become a center of the real science.

I am glad that we meet scientists from several countries because the objective of the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy is to unite the researchers from the Balkan region and to attract young scientists, pointed out Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Nikolay Nenovsky, Director of the Center. He expressed his hope that the Conference would become a tradition and the discussions and researches would have as fundamental as well as applicable and experimental importance for the future of the European currency in the Balkans.

During the discussions

The topic of the two days Forum is provoked by the dynamic events in money markets in Europe and worldwide as well as by the Eurozone challenge to Bulgaria for joining the Eurozone. The Greek debt crisis seriously misbalanced the European currency but the key challenge for the EU are the political Balkan crises in the last 2 years adding further uncertainty to the future development of the region. The new perspectives of the world monetary system and the variety of financial crises – global and regional suggest that a new financial order is at the doorstep including establishment and integration of new monetary systems.  

The main thematic directions for the Conference were the following: Monetary Theory / Monetary Policy, Central Banking, Monetary and Financial Institutions / Monetary History and History of Monetary Thought / Social and Complementary Monetary Systems / Interdisciplinary Issues Related to Money as Social Phenomenon.

In the Conference participated undergraduates and Doctoral students

The first plenary reports were delivered by Assoc. Prof. Peter Chobanov (Some Fiscal Lessons during Turbulent Times), Gordon Kerr (Why Every Balkan Country Should Have Its Own Currency Plan B) and by Prof. Nikolay Nenovsky (Shadowing the Latin Monetary Union: Interest Rates and Debts Dynamics at the Balkan Periphery).

In the work of the Conference participated representatives from the London School of Economics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Portugal University of Minho, Skopje University, the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi, etc.   

Foreign participants

 

The Conference reports will be published in a digital format on the webpage of the Research and Training Center for Monetary History, Theory and Policy and some of them – in the magazine Economic Alternatives.