Professor Alper Kara
Professor of Banking and Finance

Summary

I have joined the Department of Economics and Finance at the Brunel University London in September 2023. Prior to this role, I was the Head of Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics and Professor of Finance at the University of Huddersfield (2017-2023), Lecturer/Senior lecturer at the Loughborough University (2007-2010 & 2015-2017) and Director of MSc Programmes at the Hull University Business School (2010-2015). During my PhD, I also worked in various capacities at the Universities of Leicester (2005-2007), Bangor (2004-2005) and Robert Gordon (2007).  

I have not been an academic all my professional life as, after completing an Economics degree, I started to work as a bond and FX trader in the banking industry (1999-2004). Getting a British Council chevening scholarship to study a masters degree has attracted me to academia, and I studied for MBA and PhD degrees at the University of Wales, Bangor.

My research agenda is multidisciplinary and, broadly, related to the stability of the financial system and well-being of its participants. It covers topics in securitization pricing and performance, responsible banking, financial exclusion and access to finance, bank governance and syndicated loan markets. I am also interested in implications of ESG in corporate finance and banking. I published in leading journals and co-authored three books. Some of my work has featured in globally important policy making institutions (Fed, ECB, IMF and BIS).

​I serve as an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Finance and International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance, and on the Advisory Board of British Accounting and Finance Association, Financial Markets & Institutions Special Interest Group. 

I have acted as a research consultant to the European Central Bank on various occasions and as an Expert Advisor to Europe Economics Consultancy on their European Commission Project on EU loan syndication markets. Some of my research projects were awarded research grants from British Academy, Nuffield Foundation and Battersea, among others.

I am an experience teacher and since 2004 I taught a spectrum of banking, finance and economics modules both at the undergraduate and postgraduate level (MSc, MBA and Executive Education) – including overseas programmes in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bahrain and Kazakhstan. I act(ed) as an external examiner for Finance and Banking related programmes/modules and PhD vivas for a number of Universities in the UK and overseas.  

Qualifications

PhD Economics, 2007, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.

MBA (Distinction) Banking and Finance, 2003, University of Wales, Bangor, UK.

BSc (Hons) Economics, 1998, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

Fellow of Higher Eduation Academy (FHEA), 2011, UK.

Chartered Manager (CMgr, MCMI), 2022, UK.