Lucas Papademos appointed as inaugural Minos A. Zombanakis Professor

Esteemed economist Lucas Papademos has been appointed the Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the first faculty member to hold that title.

The professorship was established last year with a $4 million endowment via contributions from friends and relatives of Zombanakis from around the world as well as a matching contribution from the Harvard University Professorship Challenge Fund. The professorship supports a distinguished professor, or professor of practice, whose research and teaching will inform contemporary policy issues relating to the challenges of global markets.

Zombanakis is a distinguished alumnus of Harvard, where he obtained graduate degrees in economics and public administration. During his long career in banking, he is recognized for founding roles in the Euroloan markets, the syndicated loan market, and the creation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Harvard Kennedy School is pleased to name a professorship in his honor.

Papademos, a visiting professor at Harvard Kennedy School, is professor of economics at the University of Athens and senior fellow at the Center for Financial Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt. Previously, he served as the vice president of the European Central Bank from 2002 to 2010 and as governor of the Bank of Greece from 1994 to 2002. He taught economics at Columbia University from 1975 to 1984 and at the University of Athens from 1988 to 1993. He has been a member of various boards and committees including the Financial Stability Board and the EU Economic and Financial Committee.

“The Harvard Kennedy School faculty and students will be greatly enriched by the appointment of Lucas Papademos as Zombanakis Professor,” says David T. Ellwood, dean and Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy, Harvard Kennedy School. “He brings with him a vast wealth of experience and knowledge, and we look forward to his many important contributions in the field of international financial markets.”

Papademos is teaching spring modules this year on “Macroeconomic and Financial Policy in the Global Economy” and “The Global Financial Crisis: Policy Responses and Challenges.”