Global Economy Prize 2017

19 - 18 Jun 2017

Honored as pioneers of a cosmopolitan, economically liberal, and public-spirited society, the laureates of the Global Economy Prize 2017 are Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, Brunello Cucinelli, Arundhati Bhattacharya and Prof. Assar Lindbeck, Ph.D.

Invitation only

The laureates of the Global Economy Prize 2017 show their medals. They are acompanied by officials of the Kiel Institute, the city of Kiel and the Chamber of Commerce of Schleswig-Holstein. — Prof. Dennis J. Snower, Prof. Assar Lindbeck, Ph.D., Arundhati Bhattacharya, Dr. Ulf Kämpfer, Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, Klaus-Hinrich Vater, Brunello Cucinelli, Hans-Werner Tovar and Thomas Losse-Müller (left to right)

Horst Köhler

Horst Köhler is a German politician and economist. He was born on February 22, 1943, in the Polish town of Skierbieszów. He was Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and the ninth president of the Federal Republic of Germany from 2004 to 2010. Köhler saw an opportunity to build a new, inclusive coexistence between old and young and considered Germany to be a "land of ideas". With regard to foreign policy, he campaigned for a more equitable form of globalization and was especially active in the fight against poverty in Africa. Today, Köhler remains strongly committed to the struggle for development and the fight against poverty in Africa. More on Horst Köhler's life and achievements.

Brunello Cucinelli

Brunello Cucinelli is founder, chairman and CEO of the Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A. He was born on September 23, 1953, in Castel Rigone, a small village near Perugia in Umbria. His company is famous for quality cashmere fashion. Cucinelli pays attention to good working conditions and regional producers. With his fortune, he seeks to protect his local region from decline offers access to education and art for the people. In the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit central Italy in late 2016, he provided millions of euros to rebuild destroyed villages and the Benedictine monastery of Norcia. More on Brunello Cucinelli's life and achievements.

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Arundhati Battacharya shows the medal she received when accepting the Global Economy Prize in 2017. — Arundhati Bhattacharya receiving the Global Economy Prize in 2017.

Arundhati Bhattacharya is an Indian banker. She was born on March 18, 1956, in Calcutta. In October 2013, she was appointed by the Indian government to the State Bank board for a three-year term. She was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company in India. She transformed SBI from a state bank into a modern service provider for banking transactions. Bhattacharya instituted a 2-year sabbatical leave policy at SBI that enables women to care for their children and relatives. Fortune voted Bhattacharya the fourth most powerful woman in Asia and Forbes ranked her among the 30 most powerful women in the world. More on Arundhati Bhattacharya's life and achievements.

Assar Lindbeck

Carl Assar Eugén Lindbeck is a Swedisch economist. He was born on January 26, 1930, in Umeå, Sweden. He was professor of international economics and head of the Institute for International Economic Studies at Stockholm University. His research focuses on the welfare state. Lindbeck is best known for his insider-outsider theory of the labor market, which he developed in collaboration with Dennis Snower. The insider-outsider theory explains why wages do not fall even though the unemployed rate is high. Lindbeck played a crucial role in establishing the Swedish Riksbank’s Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel. More on Assar Lindbeck's life and achievements.