Umut Gökçen

Umut Gökçen serves as Assistant Professor of Finance at Özyeğin University's Faculty of Business since 2019, following prior appointments at Koç University. His academic journey includes a PhD in Finance from Boston College (2010), an MS in Financial Engineering from Columbia University, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University.

• Education: PhD Finance (Boston College, 2010), MS Financial Engineering (Columbia University), BS Mechanical Engineering (Istanbul Technical University), MBA (Baruch College)

His research critically examines private pension fund structures, factor-based investment strategies, and cryptocurrency portfolio construction, with recent work focusing on rules-based crypto asset allocation and Turkish equity market anomalies. Teaching spans advanced investments, blockchain applications, and empirical asset pricing at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Key publications in Emerging Markets Review and The European Journal of Finance analyze pension system inefficiencies and short-term market momentum. Current working papers (2025) extend this to crypto asset portfolios and cyclical predictability in emerging markets.

His methodological approach combines empirical asset pricing with practical investment management frameworks, particularly in emerging market contexts.

Teaching portfolio includes:

• FIN301 - Investments
• FIN412 - Advanced Investments
• FERM504 - Portfolio Management
• FERM532 - Blockchain and Crypto Assets
• FIN916 - Empirical Asset Pricing