Alp Atakan

Alp Atakan Overview

Alp Atakan is a Professor and Head of School in the School of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London. He holds a PhD from Columbia University and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University and Associate Professor at Koç University. His research focuses on Microeconomic Theory, Game Theory, Auction Design, and Information Economics. Key contributions include studies on reputation dynamics, search markets, and information aggregation in auctions.

Education

• PhD in Economics (with distinction), Columbia University, 2003
• MA in Economics, Columbia University, 2000
• MBA, Columbia University, 1997
• BS in Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1993

Research & Grants

Recipient of an ERC Consolidator Grant (2016–2021) for 'Market Selection, Frictions, and the Information Content of Prices'. Notable research includes work on bargaining dynamics, price discovery mechanisms, and the role of information asymmetry in auctions. He has published in top journals like Econometrica, Journal of Economic Theory, and American Economic Review.

Teaching spans MBA/EMBA courses on managerial economics and microeconomic theory, alongside advanced graduate courses in game theory and dynamic programming.

Grants & Projects

• ERC Consolidator Grant: Market Selection & Price Information (€1,089,000)
• Tubitak Grants: Sequential Debate (2014–2015) and Auctions & Information (2012–2014)

His work bridges theoretical economics with practical market design, emphasizing strategic interactions in decentralized systems.