The World Alliance has announced the winners of its Young Academic Award 2026, recognizing three research papers that examine emerging issues with significant implications for the future of international finance.
The winners were announced during the World Alliance Symposium in Busan, South Korea, following presentations by the three finalists and the jury's final evaluation of their research.
- Natalie Playford of the University of Toronto took first place for her paper, From Gender Rhetoric to Lending Rules: Adoption and Strength of Gender Clauses in Multilateral Development Bank Lending.
- Second place was awarded to Won Woo of Hanyang University for Supervisory Observability for Agentic Finance: A Cross-border Governance Framework for International Financial Centers.
- Wiktoria Chrzanowska and Adam Dejda of SGH Warsaw School of Economics received third place for their joint paper, The Programmable Citadel: International Financial Centers and the Architecture of Global Tokenized Capital Markets.
The three finalist papers address a diverse range of issues facing the global financial system. Their research examines the role of gender considerations in development finance, the regulatory and supervisory challenges associated with agentic finance, and the implications of tokenization for international financial centers and global capital markets.
The award reflects the growing importance of academic research in understanding the structural changes taking place across the international financial system. As financial centers adapt to technological developments, evolving regulatory frameworks, and new forms of capital-market activity, research can provide insights into the opportunities and challenges emerging from these transformations.
The World Alliance also expressed its appreciation to the members of the jury for their time, expertise, and commitment throughout the selection process, as well as to all those involved in organizing the 2026 award.
Through the Young Academic Award, the World Alliance seeks to support the next generation of researchers and provide young academics with an international platform to engage with financial centers and contribute to discussions on the future of global finance.