Figure It

In this 11th episode of Figure It and the second in a series of episodes devoted to energy, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen talks to Ahmet Sözen, a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) and a veritable ‘ideas factory’ when it comes to new approaches to the Cyprus problem. Prof Sözen […] The post Figure It – Episode 11 (Energy Series 2): East Med Energy and the Cyprus problem: why it is in the EU’s strategic security interests to get involved (8/2/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

In this episode of Figure It, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen talks to Dr Mustafa Besim, Professor of Economics at Eastern Mediterranean University and Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, about the economy of northern Cyprus, in particular the latest economic and financial protocol worth around 240 million euro signed between the Turkish Cypriot administration and Turkey. What are the protocol’s strengths, what are its weaknesses and what should be the priority for Turkish Cypriot economic policy? The post Figure It – Episode 9: Mustafa Besim unpacks Turkey’s economic protocol with the Turkish Cypriots (10/6/2022) first appeared on Island Talks.

In this seventh episode of Figure It, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen discusses recent geopolitical developments in the region with independent analyst Madalina Vicari. How significant is the EU’s application to become an observer member of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMFG)? With the Republic of Cyprus will holding the presidency of the EMGF and EMGF-member France holding the EU’s rotating presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2022, what can we expect from the EMFG? Will Turkey ever join? Are we heading for a rapprochement between Turkey and various key players in the region? And if so, what does it mean for Cyprus? The post Figure It – Episode 7: East Med geopolitics with Madalina Vicari (21/6/2021) first appeared on Island Talks.

In this week’s episode, Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen talks about the commercial aspects of natural gas with the East Mediterranean Editor of Middle East Economic Survey (MEES), Peter Stevenson. The recent bid by US energy giant Chevron to buy out Noble Energy - the lead company in the Cyprus Aphrodite and Israeli Leviathan and Tamar fields - has been challenged by the activist investor, Elliott Management. What is the difference between the two companies and what would either company’s ownership mean for East Med gas development prospects? The post Figure It – Episode 5: Chevron and East Med gas (16/9/2020) first appeared on Island Talks.

In this week's episode Sapienta Economics Director Fiona Mullen and gender technical specialist Sophia Papastavrou discuss why gender equality is good for profits, why pandemics are always so tough on women, and what research says about finding a peace agreement that will actually stick. The post Figure It – Episode 3: The hidden powers of gender equality (18/7/2020) first appeared on Island Talks.

As new Covid-19 virus cases hit zero in the northern part of Cyprus and single digits in the south, I talk to Rüştü Yücel and Christoforos Christoforos how this compares with elsewhere, what it means for tourism and whether life can really ever get back to normal. The post Figure It – Episode 1: Talking Covid-19 in Cyprus with Rüştü Yücel and Christophoros Christophorou. What comes next? (4/5/2020) first appeared on Island Talks.