The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson. The trio was deemed worthy of the prize for their studies on the formation of institutions and their impact on prosperity. Acemoglu became the third person from Turkey to receive a Nobel Prize. Previously, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Orhan Pamuk, and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Aziz Sancar. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics was bestowed upon Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson. The winners were announced at a press conference held at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prize was given for their work on how institutions create and influence prosperity. It was stated that the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Turkish Prof. Dr. Daron Acemoglu, British Prof. Dr. Simon Johnson, and British Prof. Dr. James Robinson for their work on the formation of institutions and their impact on prosperity. The Nobel laureates will each receive a prize of 1.1 million dollars. In 2023, the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to American Professor Claudia Goldin from Harvard University for her research on women’s participation in the workforce.

CONGRATULATIONS FROM MINISTER ŞİMŞEK

Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek congratulated Acemoglu. Şimşek, in a post on his social media account, said, “We sincerely congratulate distinguished economist Mr. Daron Acemoglu, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on the formation of institutions and their impact on prosperity.”

NOBEL LAUREATES FROM TURKEY

Acemoglu became the third person from Turkey to receive a Nobel Prize.

Orhan Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006. The Nobel jury noted that Pamuk found new symbols in the conflicts and intertwining of cultures while researching the melancholic spirit of the city of Istanbul.

Aziz Sancar won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015 for his research on how damaged DNA in cells is repaired and genetic information is preserved. Sancar shared the prize with American Paul Modrich and Swedish Tomas Lindahl.

WHO IS DARON ACEMOGLU?

Daron Acemoglu was born in Istanbul in 1967. After completing his primary education at Aramyan Uncuyan Armenian Elementary School in Kadikoy, Istanbul, he graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1986. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of York in England. Daron Acemoglu, who taught at the London School of Economics, was awarded a professorship in 2000. Since 1993, Acemoglu has continued his academic career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Acemoglu conducts research on political economy, economic development, economic growth, income and wage inequality, labor economics, economic theory, and human capital and education.

WHAT IS THE NOBEL PRIZE?

Established on June 9, 1900, following the will of the Swedish Alfred Nobel, the awards given by the Nobel Foundation to those who serve humanity are considered the most prestigious awards in the world. The Nobel Prizes are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institute, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and medicine. In addition, the Nobel Prize in Economics was established in 1968, following the decision of the Swedish Central Bank to award a prize in economics in memory of Alfred Nobel, and was first awarded in 1969. The Nobel Prizes are presented to the recipients at a ceremony held on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. However, there have been several years since the start of the awards in 1901 when they were not awarded, with most cancellations occurring during the First and Second World Wars. The award ceremonies could not be held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.