Adnan Akfırat Elected Vice President of WAPE

Adnan Akfırat, President of the Turkey-China Business Development and Friendship Association, has been elected Vice President of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) during its 16th Forum held in Fuzhou, China.

WAPE is an international academic organization registered in Paris, established by leading Marxist economists and scientific socialist research groups from various parts of the world. Its mission is to apply modern Marxist economics to identify the developmental laws of the global economy and to propose policies that promote economic and social progress both nationally and internationally.

The current President of WAPE is Professor Cheng Enfu, one of China’s most renowned intellectuals and former director of the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The Vice Presidents are selected from among the world’s leading Marxist economists.

Each year, WAPE hosts international forums in different countries, providing a platform to discuss developments in capitalist economies from a Marxist perspective. The organization also aims to foster collaboration among Marxist economists, encourage the study of China's development model, and amplify the global influence of Marxist economic thought.

WAPE publishes two international peer-reviewed journals: World Review of Political Economy and International Critical Thought.

16th Forum Held in Fuzhou

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The 16th WAPE Forum took place in Fuzhou, China, from September 25–27, 2023.Participants from Turkey included WAPE Council Member Adnan Akfırat and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Efe Can Gürcan of Istinye University's Belt and Road Studies Center. Dr. Gürcan received WAPE’s “Outstanding Achievement Award in 21st Century Political Economy Studies” for his 2022 book Imperialism after the Neoliberal Turn, published by Routledge.

The theme of the 2023 forum was “The Modernization of China and the Prospects of Global Modernization.” Several speakers addressed how China's development path has shattered the myth that modernization must equate to Westernization, offering new avenues for global progress.

In his presentation titled “China Modernized by Defeating Imperialism”, Akfırat argued that true modernization in the 21st century is only possible through emancipation from imperialism and a commitment to socialism. Dr. Gürcan shared insights from Turkey's 150-year-long struggle for modernization.

WAPE Elects New Vice Presidents

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During the forum, the WAPE Council convened twice—first to determine award recipients and then to elect new Vice Presidents. The newly elected Vice Presidents include:

• Prof. Dr. Patrick Bond (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)

• Prof. Dr. Roger Seifert (University of Wolverhampton, UK)

• Prof. Dr. Weligamage Don Lakshman (Former Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka)

• Prof. Dr. Radhika Desai (University of Manitoba & Chair of the International Manifesto Group, Canada)

• Adnan Akfırat (President, Turkey-China Business Development and Friendship Association, Turkey)
  

Additionally, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Efe Can Gürcan was appointed to the WAPE Council.

It was also announced that the 17th WAPE Forum will be held in Athens in August 2024, followed by the 18th Forum in Istanbul in September 2025.

Four Renditions of The Internationale

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The 16th WAPE Forum reflected a renewed vitality in Marxist thought, aligning with President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on Scientific Socialism. Both Chinese and international speakers offered socialist solutions to pressing global challenges, marking a clear departure from the previously perceived stagnation of Marxist discourse in China. Bold and creative ideas were discussed with enthusiasm.

In a rare moment for Chinese academic events, the forum concluded with multiple renditions of The Internationale. Delegates from the U.S., Canada, Japan, India, Australia, Brazil, Peru, the UK, Germany, Austria, Greece, Russia, and Turkey sang the anthem in their native languages. The enthusiasm was so palpable that it was performed four times.