In today’s rapidly changing economic environment, the global economic structure exhibits a rapid transformation. It is crucial to attune with this economic transformation and wisely fill in the gaps emerging from it. The promise of the new economic setting has transformed how agents view economic relations and unlocked a decision-making process to an innovative set of precedence. With the expanding complexity and interdependence and information-rich environment, policy-making for faster economic growth requires new approaches and fine-tuned calibrations based on longitudinal analyses, rather than rough designs. With these ideas in mind, the business and academic community have joined their forces to launch a new forum on economic research in Istanbul.

Koc University-TÜSİAD Economic Research Forum (ERF) is a research center formed jointly by Koc University and the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association.

Koc University is a leading research and education institution of international standing, aims at generating knowledge at global scale, expanding the scientific horizons of Türkiye and educating individuals who will ensure the dominance of contemporary science and technology in the development of the society (more information is available at http://www.ku.edu.tr).

TÜSİAD is the largest non-governmental organization of the Turkish private sector, including industries and services, committed to promote Türkiye’s political, economic and institutional reform process, within the framework of the membership process to the EU. TUSIAD published numerous reports and organized various panel discussions in the field of raising democratic standards and awareness in Türkiye (more information is available at http: //www.tusiad.org).

ERF aims to be a world-class research institute that draws on both the academic and the professional expertise of the most outstanding minds in the field of economics and business. Integrating with business community through direct academic involvement in research related to both Turkish and global economy, ERF is dedicated to promote independent and objective analysis on economic policies for faster growth. ERF’s mission is to conduct business and economic research, and to provide alternatives for short-term and long-term economic policies to meet the challenges of the sustainable economic growth. ERF is also active in a wide range of economic research activities, especially related with the policy suggestions for a development strategy.

The main objectives of the Economic Research Forum can be listed as follows:

• to follow and analyze the developments in the global economics, especially the developments related with the European Union’s economic integration process; conduct, promote, and support research on short-term and long-term economic trends.
• to offer original insights in order to deal better with the contemporary challenges, to work on alternative policies that will shed light on Türkiye’s economic preferences; influence the ranking of priorities, provide roadmaps for action, that will take the nation forward in global competitiveness.
• to provide policy-makers venues to build shared understanding, if not consensus, on policy options among decision makers and professionals; to increase the efficiency in policy-making process and practice.
• to offer an international environment that fosters rigorous research across the entire spectrum of economics and business; to mobilize economic coalitions through its program of conferences, roundtables and lectures; disseminate information, research findings, and data.
• to enhance communication and cooperation with the non-governmental organizations engaged in research related to economic policy; to encourage and support in their intellectual pursuits and contributions.