2.14. Social Responsibility Activities, Donations and Financial Support

In addition to performing the duties and responsibilities entrusted to it by the CBRT Law, the CBRT also engages in social responsibility activities and contributes to academic studies and various fields of interest through providing donations and financial support.

In the scope of the Financial Support Program for Academic Studies, the Bank continued to provide support for conferences on economics and finance as well as for other academic and policy-making studies in these fields. The Bank provided financial support for 35 events held by various universities and organizations throughout the year.

Furthermore, the CBRT organized the 4th Contest for Academic Studies in 2013 to support academic studies in the Turkish economy, central banking or monetary policy and make these studies accessible to a larger audience. At the end of the evaluation process, one candidate was granted a second award and one candidate a third award, while two others were granted academic encouragement awards.

In May 2013, at the 12th graduation ceremony of the Central Bank Derince Anatolian High School, the first three students graduating with the highest degree were awarded with plaques, money prize and various presents. The Central Bank Derince Anatolian High School was founded by the contributions of the CBRT in collaboration with the Bank of Greece in Derince, İzmit following the earthquake in 1999 and started education in the 2001-2002 school year. The Bank contributed new books and publications to enrich the school library and support the educational program. The number of students, who, based on certain criteria, have received scholarships from the CBRT for their university education upon graduating from Derince Anatolian High School since the 2002-2003 educational year, reached 64 in 2013.

After having furnishing materials such as tables, coffee tables, whatnots, cabinets and equipment such as computers, telephones and printers, which had been out of use at CBRT, repaired and maintained; some of these equipment were sent to Hakkari and Batman Governorships to be distributed to schools, public institutions and organisations that were in need and rest of them were distributed by Bank.

The CBRT provided sponsorship to the North American Innovation Conference 2013, which aims to foster opportunities, new ideas and exchange of experience by bringing together businessmen, investors and entrepreneurs. The 2013 event was held in New York and is organised by the Federation of Balkan American Association an organization founded by a group of Turkish-educated teachers, academicians and professional who come from the Balkans and are living in the US.