Nominated Winners of Global Economy Prize 2019 Announced

The Global Economy Prize is awarded to pioneers of a cosmopolitan, economically liberal, and public-spirited society. This year’s nominees are:

• Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble MdB,President of the German Bundestag. Category: Politics.
• Hikmet Ersek, President, CEO, Director, Western Union. Category: Business.
• Prof. Daron Acemoglu, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Category: Economics.

The nominees were announced to the press today at the Kiel Institute by Prof. Gabriel Felbermayr, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Dr. Ulf Kämpfer, Mayor of the City of Kiel, and Consul Klaus-Hinrich Vater, Vice-President of Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Commerce and President of the Kiel Chamber of Commerce.

In explanation to the Jury's decision Kämpfer said: “Wolfgang Schäuble is an outstanding mastermind and architect of both the European integration process and German reunification. He is a dedicated European, an advocate of a rule-based European integration process and the forward thinker of a multi-speed European Union.”

Vater introduced the award winner in the category Business. „Hikmet Ersek is an extremely successful entrepreneur, a passionate advocate of globalization and a socially responsible citizen of the world. Under his aegis, Western Union has repeatedly engaged in aid programs in economic crisis regions and, not least, has waived fees for transfers to these regions.”

Felbermayr, who has intensively dealt with Acemoglu's research, said: „Daron Acemoglu's hallmark is an unparalleled combination of originality, thoroughness and high productivity – that before long has made him one of the most frequently quoted economists worldwide in all the various areas he ventures into. In particular, his work in poverty research, which placed this field on an entirely new footing, makes him a worthy recipient of the Global Economy Prize.”

The award ceremony of the Global Economy Prize will be held on Sunday, June 23, during the Kieler Woche festival, in Kiel City Hall. All laureates are expected to attend.

Additional information about the Global Economy Prize and this years nominees.