Right now, the world is progressing in two major directions: on one side, there are risks like wars, economic uncertainties, and famines; on the other, we face major issues such as climate change. These situations are prompting investors to seek new opportunities. So, what could really be the "next big thing"? Let’s explore together. First, let’s talk about renewable energy and clean technologies, which are now firmly established in our lives. Moving away from fossil fuels due to climate issues has become essential.

This week's article is for the esteemed readers of Tomorrow's Affairs—investors, university owners, and academic administrators. No matter which continent you live on, managing a university is a serious undertaking. It is not just about academics or administration; it also involves financial management. I stepped into academic life in 1992 and have served in various institutions, but let me explain why I have never loosened my ties with universities:

While the world is grappling with immense unrest, I observe stock and commodity markets soaring without basis on one hand, and on the other, I see experienced investors selling everything and converting to cash. There is an important rule that investors know well: "If markets are very volatile, it means people are trading without much money at stake." Of course, trades are not only done manually. There are also computers with algorithms loaded with historical data making buy-sell decisions. If artificial intelligence or computers say, “It's time to sell,” there’s nothing that can stop this flood.

I read this beautiful work by German author Erich Maria Remarque at a very young age. The title of the book indicates that when conflicts, pains, and deaths become normalised, each of them turns into a daily detail. Given the current tensions, the fact that the US President initiates a conflict alone and then unilaterally declares a ceasefire felt like one more unfortunate detail—almost as if a street thug punches someone and immediately says, "Let's make peace."

Years ago, I wrote in an article: “War and suffering will never be absent from our lives, but social media will normalise them.” Today, this statement is even more meaningful. We are witnessing ongoing conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, and Israel-Iran, with developments that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people daily, maybe thousands. But instead of focusing on lost lives, we’re now monitoring oil price movements and grim tactics on the international political stage.

As the renowned psychiatrist Vamik Volkan’s numerous studies and British physician and former minister David Owen’s book "In Sickness and In Power" show us, there is a strong link between the critical decision-making of the leaders and their psychological states, their psychological histories, and even the medications they take while in office. For example, it is known that Trump’s own mother once said, “To me, he’s an empathy-deficient sociopath—God forbid he enters politics.” Whatever kind of childhood he had, it led his mother to make such a candid and radical statement.

In the articles and writing I share with you, I do not directly perform market analysis. Because there are already many who do that, and unfortunately, most of them give comments like a broken clock that shows the correct time twice a day. The number of individuals who possess extensive experience and provide consistent commentary is very small. To recognise their value, I don't even think of myself as part of the crowd.

I haven't written a comprehensive article about oil in a long time. So, I want to share an evaluation within the framework of rapidly unfolding events. Oil is one of the vital arteries of the global economy. Instead of creating clichés, we need to analyse developments both from a historical perspective and based on their current impacts.

A significant part of the economic imbalance stems from the difference between the so-called free market economy, carefully protected in many countries, and the political approaches of governments that do not comply with it. Let's remember a bit of history: The 1990s, often called the "golden years," are known as a time when market economy and liberal democracy strengthened, peace and prosperity prevailed, and global cooperation flourished.

I had the chance to review Deloitte's automotive report covering 27,000 consumers across 26 countries. The research shows that there are striking changes in automotive ownership trends. The findings are summarised into four main sections:

While debates continue about the advantages and disadvantages of the tariffs Trump imposed on the U.S. economy, information from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post indicates that these measures have been "life-savers", especially for small and medium-sized American businesses. However, to make an accurate analysis, we need to first look at the revenue figures and employee counts of the firms benefiting from the tariffs.

Of course, people like me belonging to Generation X are used to power outages. After all, a significant part of our childhood was shaped by this. However, the meaning of a power outage today is different! In the 1970s, electricity was not much of a strategic element, but now it has even become a cause for war. Now let me come to the topic of the article: We decided to align our work with my wife's birthday and enjoy ourselves in Lisbon. We arrived in Lisbon on 27 April and settled into our hotel located at a prominent point in the city.

As soon as Trump took office, he began to take action to implement his plans. However, he is realising that the situation is not as easy as he thought. As protests grow nationwide due to his actions and decisions, the Italian Prime Minister establishing psychological superiority over Trump in the Oval Office has made headlines worldwide.

Latin America, and especially Argentina, is known for its historic economic crises. Similarly, Russia has experienced crises in the recent past. Let’s not forget South Korea's famous 'chaebol' crisis. The financial crises that Turkey experienced in 1994 and 2001 are still fresh in our memories.

For those who wonder where this protectionism came from, let me move on to its history: According to the Historical School of German economists, classical economic theory has generally used the deductive method while building its theoretical framework, abstracted, and given too much emphasis to rationality.