Skip to main content

Research success for ICMA Centre lecturer

In early 2012 Dr Oikonomou’s project, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Credit Costs’ was awarded a highly prestigious grant by the Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim, Germany. The Strengthening Efficiency and Competitiveness in the European Knowledge Economies (or SEEK) grant is worth approximately €150,000 and aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of policy rationales, the design of appropriate policy instruments as well as their effectiveness and efficiency.

The awarded project, a collaborative effort with Professor Michael Schroder, Dr Andreas Hoepner and Professor Bert Scholtens, is an international investigation of the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on the cost of corporate loans. “As our work on this project falls in the intersection between business and society, it meets the overall objectives of the SEEK grant perfectly which made the committee very keen to invest in the research” said Dr Oikonomou.

The second success of 2012 for Dr Oikonomou is the awarding, in the previous month, of his thesis, ‘Empirical Investigations of the Relationship between Corporate Social and Financial Performance’ with the Best Thesis in Finance and Sustainability European Research Award for 2012. This award is administered by the French Social Investment Forum and the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and is worth €5,000.

The PRI is a network of international investors working together to put the six Principles for Responsible Investment (link to the principles) into practice. Their interest in Dr Oikonomou's thesis is a wonderful testament to the work he has done and demonstrates the potential for his research to develop into practical financial applications across institutions in Europe and further afield.

Dr Oikonomou was presented with his award at a ceremony in Paris in September. The event was covered by a variety of media including renowned French newspaper Le Monde for which Dr Oikonomou gave an interview.

Published 9 October 2012
Topics:
Press releases Research news

You might also like

Top 10 result in Guardian University League Tables 2017

24 May 2016
Accounting and Finance at Henley Business School has been ranked 9th in the UK in the Guardian University League Tables 2017, climbing 3 places since last year.
Rankings news

RESULTS 2014

14 August 2014
From everyone at the ICMA Centre we would like to welcome you to the University of Reading!

A Merseyside marvel

10 May 2019
Four teams from the English Premier League are taking all the places in the two European finals. But why has the EPL taken so long to dominate European football?
Business News