ITF 414 | Course Introduction and Application Information - Department of International Trade and Finance

Course Name

Special Topics in Finance

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
ITF 414	Fall/Spring	3	0	3	5

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Elective
Course Level	First Cycle
Mode of Delivery	face to face
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	Discussion Q&A Lecture / Presentation
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	Prof. Dr. C Coşkun KÜÇÜKÖZMEN
Course Lecturer(s)	Prof. Dr. YENER COŞKUN
Assistant(s)	Arş.Gör. MERT SAĞSÖZ

Course Objectives	The objective of the course is to teach students recent developments in financial markets. The changing nature of finance mainly driven by technology makes financial operations 7/24/365 on a global scale but also face some unexpected risks. To better justify and digest the recent issues we need to refer to past. We briefly go through global economic turning points and significantly emphasis on the measures that can be taken for risk management purposes.
Learning Outcomes	The students who succeeded in this course; Explain the key drivers of structural and technological change in global financial markets. Analyze the impact of digitalization, innovation, and sustainability on financial institutions and regulatory frameworks. Evaluate contemporary issues in fintech, digital assets, and sustainable finance using current data and reports. Interpret how global financial trends influence market stability, monetary policy, and investment strategies. Develop informed perspectives and deliver analytical presentations on emerging financial developments.
Course Description	The course primarily aims to incorporate recent out-of-textbook issues into the course content hence keep the students up-to-date with recent developments in financial planning and decision making.
Related Sustainable Development Goals

Course Category	Core Courses
	Major Area Courses	X
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation
1	Course Introduction, Overview, and Methodology
2	Digital Transformation in Finance-1: FinTech innovations	Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of business research, 122, 889-901. Jarvis, R., & Han, H. (2021). FinTech innovation: Review and future research directions. **Kou, G., & Lu, Y. (2025). FinTech: a literature review of emerging financial technologies and applications. Financial Innovation, 11(1), 1.
3	Digital Transformation in Finance-2: Crypto Assets and Regulatory Perspectives	Buckley, R. P., Arner, D. W., Zetzsche, D. A., & Selga, E. (2019). The dark side of digital financial transformation: the new risks of fintech and the rise of techrisk. UNSW Law Research Paper, (19-89). Wronka, C. (2024). Crypto-asset activities and markets in the European Union: issues, challenges and considerations for regulation, supervision and oversight. Journal of Banking Regulation, 25(1), 84-93.
4	Digital Transformation Adoptation in Companies	Lecturer’s Notes**Zhu, K., Dong, S., Xu, S. X., & Kraemer, K. L. (2006). Innovation diffusion in global contexts: determinants of post-adoption digital transformation of European companies. European journal of information systems, 15(6), 601-616.
5	Emerging Trends in Regulatory Technologies (RegTech)	**Von Solms, J. (2021). Integrating Regulatory Technology (RegTech) into the digital transformation of a bank Treasury. Journal of Banking Regulation, 22(2), 152-168.
6	Presentations: Company-Level Digitilization Practices	**Jäger, J., & Federau, M. (2025). Digitalization, sustainable development, and the role of company size: evidence from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Sustainable Development.
7	Presentations: Company-Level Digitilization Practices	**Yu, M., & Yan, A. (2022). Can digital finance accelerate the digital transformation of companies? From the perspective of M&A. Sustainability, 14(21), 14281.
8	Sustainability Crisis and Sustainable Innovations	**Silvestre, B. S., & Ţîrcă, D. M. (2019). Innovations for sustainable development: Moving toward a sustainable future. Journal of cleaner production, 208, 325-332.
9	Midterm Exam
10	Digitalization and Sustainable Development Goals	Pérez-Martínez, J., Hernandez-Gil, F., San Miguel, G., Ruiz, D., & Arredondo, M. T. (2023). Analysing associations between digitalization and the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Science of The Total Environment, 857, 159700. Rosário, A. T., & Dias, J. C. (2022). Sustainability and the digital transition: A literature review. Sustainability, 14(7), 4072. **Cricelli, L., & Strazzullo, S. (2021). The economic aspect of digital sustainability: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13(15), 8241.
11	Cross-disciplinary innovations in finance and real estate management: PropTech	Tagliaro, C., Pome, A. P., Migliore, A., & Danivska, V. (2025). Technology “like a fork”. How PropTech shapes real estate innovation. Journal of European Real Estate Research, 18(1), 4-26. Starr, C. W., Saginor, J., & Worzala, E. (2021). The rise of PropTech: Emerging industrial technologies and their impact on real estate. Journal of Property Investment & Finance, 39(2), 157-169.
12	Use of AI and Big Data Analytics in Property & Finance: Valuation, risk assessment, and investment	Najem, R., Bahnasse, A., Fakhouri Amr, M., & Talea, M. (2025). Advanced AI and big data techniques in E-finance: a comprehensive survey. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 5(1), 102. Seagraves, P. (2024). Real Estate Insights: is the AI revolution a real estate boon or bane?. Journal of Property Investment & Finance, 42(2), 190-199. **Meinhold, R., Wagner, C., & Dhar, B. K. (2025). Digital sustainability and eco‐environmental sustainability: A review of emerging technologies, resource challenges, and policy implications. Sustainable Development, 33(2), 2323-2338.
13	Presentations: Company-Level Digital Sustainability Practices	**Plečko, S., & Bradač Hojnik, B. (2024). Sustainable business practices and the role of digital technologies: a cross-regional analysis. Systems, 12(3), 97.
14	Presentations: Company-Level Digital Sustainability Practices	**Broccardo, L., Truant, E., & Dana, L. P. (2023). The interlink between digitalization, sustainability, and performance: An Italian context. Journal of Business Research, 158, 113621.
15	Review of The Semester
16	Final Exam	-

Course Notes/Textbooks

Based on Lecturer’s Notes and regular positing via BlackBoard.

Suggested Readings/Materials

Books

Prasad, E. S. (2021). The future of money: How the digital revolution is transforming currencies and finance. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/file/feeds/PDF/9780674258440_sample.pdf

Rogers, D. L. (2016). The Digital Transformation Playbook: Rethink Your Business for the Digital Age. Columbia Business School Publishing.

Articles

**Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of business research, 122, 889-901.

**Jarvis, R., & Han, H. (2021). FinTech innovation: Review and future research directions.

**Kou, G., & Lu, Y. (2025). FinTech: a literature review of emerging financial technologies and applications. Financial Innovation, 11(1), 1.

**Buckley, R. P., Arner, D. W., Zetzsche, D. A., & Selga, E. (2019). The dark side of digital financial transformation: the new risks of fintech and the rise of techrisk. UNSW Law Research Paper, (19-89).

**Wronka, C. (2024). Crypto-asset activities and markets in the European Union: issues, challenges and considerations for regulation, supervision and oversight. Journal of Banking Regulation, 25(1), 84-93.**Zhu, K., Dong, S., Xu, S. X., & Kraemer, K. L. (2006). Innovation diffusion in global contexts: determinants of post-adoption digital transformation of European companies. European journal of information systems, 15(6), 601-616.

**Von Solms, J. (2021). Integrating Regulatory Technology (RegTech) into the digital transformation of a bank Treasury. Journal of Banking Regulation, 22(2), 152-168.

**Jäger, J., & Federau, M. (2025). Digitalization, sustainable development, and the role of company size: evidence from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Sustainable Development.

**Yu, M., & Yan, A. (2022). Can digital finance accelerate the digital transformation of companies? From the perspective of M&A. Sustainability, 14(21), 14281.

**Silvestre, B. S., & Ţîrcă, D. M. (2019). Innovations for sustainable development: Moving toward a sustainable future. Journal of cleaner production, 208, 325-332.

**Pérez-Martínez, J., Hernandez-Gil, F., San Miguel, G., Ruiz, D., & Arredondo, M. T. (2023). Analysing associations between digitalization and the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Science of The Total Environment, 857, 159700.

**Rosário, A. T., & Dias, J. C. (2022). Sustainability and the digital transition: A literature review. Sustainability, 14(7), 4072.

**Cricelli, L., & Strazzullo, S. (2021). The economic aspect of digital sustainability: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13(15), 8241.

**Tagliaro, C., Pome, A. P., Migliore, A., & Danivska, V. (2025). Technology “like a fork”. How PropTech shapes real estate innovation. Journal of European Real Estate Research, 18(1), 4-26.

**Starr, C. W., Saginor, J., & Worzala, E. (2021). The rise of PropTech: Emerging industrial technologies and their impact on real estate. Journal of Property Investment & Finance, 39(2), 157-169.

**Najem, R., Bahnasse, A., Fakhouri Amr, M., & Talea, M. (2025). Advanced AI and big data techniques in E-finance: a comprehensive survey. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 5(1), 102.

**Seagraves, P. (2024). Real Estate Insights: is the AI revolution a real estate boon or bane?. Journal of Property Investment & Finance, 42(2), 190-199.

**Meinhold, R., Wagner, C., & Dhar, B. K. (2025). Digital sustainability and eco‐environmental sustainability: A review of emerging technologies, resource challenges, and policy implications. Sustainable Development, 33(2), 2323-2338.

**Plečko, S., & Bradač Hojnik, B. (2024). Sustainable business practices and the role of digital technologies: a cross-regional analysis. Systems, 12(3), 97.

**Broccardo, L., Truant, E., & Dana, L. P. (2023). The interlink between digitalization, sustainability, and performance: An Italian context. Journal of Business Research, 158, 113621.

Semester Activities	Number	Weigthing
Participation
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments
Presentation / Jury	1	20
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm	1	35
Final Exam	1	45
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade	2	55
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade	1	45
Total

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	14	1	14
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments			0
Presentation / Jury	1	14	14
Project			0
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms	1	23	23
Final Exam	1	45	45
		Total	144

#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to identify and analyze problems in the field of trade and finance, and to develop solutions.	-	-	X	-	-
2	To be able to apply theoretical and practical knowledge of international trade and finance to real-world professional contexts.	-	-	-	-	-
3	To be able to critically analyze global market developments and evaluate their implications for business and policy.	-	-	-	X	-
4	To be able to collect, analyze, and interpret financial and economic data by using digital and information technologies effectively.	-	X	-	-	-
5	To be able to understand and interpret legal frameworks, regulations and practices relevant to international trade and finance.	-	-	-	-	-
6	To be able to anticipate, define, and manage financial and trade-related risks through informed decision-making.	-	-	-	-	-
7	To be able to acquire and use verbal, written, and numerical skills effectively for the nature of international trade and finance program.	-	-	-	-	-
8	To be able to obtain, synthesize, and report trade- and finance-related information clearly and effectively.	-	-	-	-	-
9	To be able to contribute effectively as individuals, team members, and leaders in multidisciplinary environments.	-	-	-	-	-
10	To be able to evaluate trade and finance issues from ethical, social, and sustainability perspectives.	-	-	-	-	-
11	To be able to collect data in the areas of International Trade and Finance and communicate with colleagues in a foreign language ("European Language Portfolio Global Scale", Level B1).	-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to speak a second foreign at a medium level of fluency efficiently.	-	-	-	-	-
13	To be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout human history to their field of expertise.	-	-	-	-	-