The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo concluded the “Global Money Week 2025”

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), within the framework of organizing activities through Financial Education, aims to contribute to improving knowledge on economic and financial issues, for all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, especially children and young people, for individual consumers and entrepreneurs.

Global Money Week (GMW) is a global initiative, led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and brings together 176 countries around the world to raise awareness of the importance of Financial Education, which the CBK continuously marks. For 2025, the week was held from March 17 to 21, 2025 and had the motto “Think Before You Click, for a Secure Financial Future”.

GMW 2025 opened with the award ceremony for primary and secondary school students – 5 for the best videos and 20 for the best artistic works – which had the topic of Financial Education, based on the public invitation opened in February 2025, in which a total of 119 students from various schools in the country applied.

The Governor of the CBK, Mr Ahmet Ismaili, on the occasion of the awarding of these awards, congratulated the students for the work done in their videos and artistic works, encouraging them to continue their commitment to the importance of financial education. He also thanked parents and teachers for their support and dedication.

Within the framework of this week, with the aim of promoting scientific research, the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo has announced the competition for the “Young Economist Award”. Through this competition, the CBK invites all young researchers to apply with their scientific papers to compete for this prestigious award.

This year, students have the opportunity to prepare their research papers based on the following topics:

– The role of artificial intelligence in the financial sector in Kosovo – Its impact on advancing financial services and risk management;

– New risks of financial fraud and international aspects of anti-money laundering (AML) prevention;

– Transition to a green economy: The role of the Central Bank in sustainable finance and the application of CSR and ESG to the financial sector;

– The evolution of financial markets: Implications for productivity, financial stability and capital flows;

– The impact of remittances on the Kosovo economy: Possibilities of directing them to productive sectors; and

– Protecting consumers against fraud in digital finance: Challenges and solutions in the context of online security.

The competition will be open from March 17, 2025 to October 1, 2025, and Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate level students are eligible to apply.

The CBK, in cooperation with the Association of Banks of Kosovo, organized an awareness campaign with the message “Don’t fall prey to online scams – verify the source before you click”. The campaign has been distributed on social networks, messaging platforms and communication channels of all commercial banks in Kosovo, aiming to increase awareness of financial security and prevent online scams.

Governor Ismaili this time held a lecture entitled “The CBK and its role in the financial system of the Republic of Kosovo” at UBT College, where he shared knowledge about the main functions of the CBK, the functioning of the financial sector, financial stability and the development of the financial sector of our country in particular in front of the students.

The activities continued at the “Hoxhë Kadri Prishtina” School of Economics and Law, where an interactive debate was organized with the participation of 100 students, on the topic “For or against the full digitalization of banking products and services – cash or cashless society?”. The debate brought arguments on the advantages and challenges of a fully digital economy, as well as the role of cash in the financial market.

An educational session was organized at the CBK premises for students in grades VI-IX, discussing the importance of money management from an early age and the basic principles of financial education.

The week concluded with the launch conference of the “WE Finance Code” project, an initiative of the CBK with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, which aims to support access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

The conference, which gathered over 110 participants, opened with an introductory speech by Governor Ismaili, while the proceedings of this conference were honored and supported by the participation of Her Excellency, the President of the Republic, Mrs Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, with a welcoming speech.

During this event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Business Registration Agency (BRA), to exchange data on businesses, especially those owned or co-owned by women, and Letters of Intent were solemnly signed by institutions that will support this initiative with concrete activities, for the most significant inclusion and impact on finance and the economy.

The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo remains committed to promoting Financial Education, with the aim of increasing awareness of financial security and empowering citizens to make informed decisions about their finances. The CBK, through awareness-raising campaigns, innovative projects and collaborations with local and international institutions, aims to have a lasting impact on raising awareness of financial literacy in our country.