Cem Soner

Dr. Cem Soner, CFA, is a financial economist whose research covers political economy, credit markets, and sustainable finance. He studies how political shocks, populist movements, and institutional design affect SME lending, sovereign bond yields, and climate finance delivery in different geographical and governance settings.

His research has been published in the Journal of Rural Studies, with further papers under review or in revision at leading journals in finance and political science. His paper Pledged but Not Delivered, the first quasi-experimental study of multilateral climate finance delivery, was selected as a top-5 global finalist for the 2026 UNCTAD-AIB Award for Research on Investment and Development.

He is a co-author on a project funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust. He also received a competitive Welsh Government Taith Research Mobility Award, which supports his current visiting fellowship at CUNEF Universidad in Madrid, where he works with Prof. Santiago Carbó Valverde on banking regulation and macroprudential policy.

Dr. Soner is a volunteer mentor with the Graduate Applications in Economics Network (GAIN), supporting African scholars through the PhD application process. His mentees have secured fully funded placements at North American universities.

He holds a BSc in Economics from Bilkent University, an MSc in Corporate Finance from SDA Bocconi, and a PhD in Finance from Bangor University. He is a CFA Charterholder.