Arben Mustafa was born on February 12, 1984, in Kosovo. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics, University of Pristina, where in 2005 he graduated in the field of Banking, Finance, and Accounting. After completing his undergraduate studies, he pursued postgraduate education in the United Kingdom, at Staffordshire University, where in 2006 he completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Economics, and in 2014 he earned the title of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics.
Since September 2014, Arben Mustafa has been engaged at the Faculty of Economics, “Kadri Zeka” University in Gjilan, where he currently holds the title of Associate Professor. At this institution, he teaches the subjects Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Banking Business, and Corporate Finance. He earned the title of Associate Professor on March 1, 2022, while earlier, since 2014, he had been appointed as an Assistant Professor. Arben Mustafa is also a lecturer at AAB College, at both the bachelor and master levels, teaching courses such as Macroeconomics II, Globalization Trends, European Economic Integrations, and Quality Management Systems.
In addition to his academic engagement, he has had a long and significant career at the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo. Initially, he worked as an economist in the Department for Economic Analysis and Financial Stability (2007–2009), then as director of this department (2009–2016), and later as a senior advisor for Financial Supervision (2016–2022). During this period, he was responsible for research and analyses that directly influenced the formulation of economic and financial stability policies in the country.
His research field primarily focuses on the banking sector, competition in the financial system, financial stability, and macroeconomic developments in Central and Southeastern European countries. He has published scientific papers in internationally recognized journals such as:
Macroeconomic, Structural, and Bank-specific Determinants of Non-performing Loans in Central and Eastern Europe, Ekonomický časopis/Journal of Economics, 2022, vol. 70, no. 5, pp. 411–429, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31577/ekoncas.2022.05.02
Banking Sector Competition in the Panzar-Rosse Framework and Net Interest Margins: An Empirical Analysis Using the General Method of Moments, Croatian Economic Survey, 2018, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 5–36, https://doi.org/10.15179/ces.20.1.1
The Impact of Banking Sector Competition on Banks’ Risk-Taking in Transition Economies of Central and South-Eastern Europe, South East European Journal of Economics and Business, 2018, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 31–42, DOI: 10.2478/jeb-2018-0004
Estimation of the Banking Sector Competition in the CEE countries: The Panzar-Rosse approach, Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics: Journal of Economics and Business (ZB. RAD. EKON. FAK. RIJE.), 2017, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 459–485, https://doi.org/10.18045/zbefri.2017.2.459
The Size and Effects of Emigration and Remittances in the Western Balkans. A Forecasting Based on a Delphi Process, Südosteuropa, Journal of Politics and Society, 2017, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 679–695, DOI: 10.1515/soeu-2017-0044
He has participated in many international scientific conferences organized by institutions such as the National Bank of Austria, the University of Oxford, and others. Topics he has addressed include banking competition and its impact on bank risk-taking, credit portfolio quality, euroization in Kosovo, and remittances in the Western Balkans.
In addition to his academic and scientific work, Arben Mustafa has attended a series of professional trainings from prestigious institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the National Bank of Austria, and the National Bank of the Czech Republic. These trainings have covered topics such as financial programming and policies, macro-financial stability, stress testing in the banking system, and monetary policy in the eurozone.
He possesses advanced analytical and research skills, is a proficient user of programs such as Microsoft Office and STATA, and is fluent in English and proficient in Serbo-Croatian.