From New York to Amsterdam and now Germany, City College alumnus Dr. Fatjon Kaja has built an academic career studying how law, finance and public policy shape the decisions of businesses and financial markets. Now a postdoctoral researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt’s Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance, Kaja credits his time at CCNY with providing the foundation for a journey that continues to cross disciplines and international borders.
Originally from Albania, Kaja was searching for three things when he began looking at colleges: affordability, academic quality and the opportunity to study in New York City. He found all three at CCNY.
“I think CCNY has a nice combination of affordability and quality education,” Kaja said. “You add to that the university’s location, and it offers students something unique since the entire New York City becomes your campus.”
That environment quickly became more than a place to earn a degree. For Kaja, it was where, through close relationships with faculty members, he fostered the intellectual curiosity and mentorship that encouraged him to pursue an academic career.
“I really appreciated a lot the attention and interest at City College, especially the faculty members that I had,” he said. “Professors were doing research and going to international conferences, but they were also available on campus for us students to meet and discuss.”
Among those mentors, Associate Dean of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership Dr. Kevin R. Foster had the greatest impact. What began as a professor-student relationship has grown into an ongoing research collaboration that continues years after graduation.
“If there’s anybody who I would highlight, it’s Kevin Foster,” Kaja said. “Even now we meet almost once a week to discuss research. It’s just somebody who took the time of the day to help me become a better researcher.”
Those mentorship experiences inspired Kaja to continue pursuing graduate education. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Pre-Law, Philosophy, and Economics and a master’s degree in Financial Economics from CCNY, Kaja continued his academic journey with a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a Ph.D. in Law and Finance from the University of Amsterdam before joining Goethe University Frankfurt as a postdoctoral researcher.
Today, Kaja’s research sits at the intersection of law, economics and finance. One area explores whether legal and economic systems can encourage corporations to pursue broader public benefits alongside financial success. Another examines how financial markets respond to major world events and whether those reactions are efficient or influenced by broader political and economic forces.
Among the projects he is most proud of is a recently published study co-authored with Foster examining how global defense companies responded to two different significant geopolitical events. Rather than accepting common assumptions about financial markets in the global arms industry, the research used quantitative analysis to understand why investors responded differently to each event.
Another project currently underway reflects Kaja’s interest in combining historical research with emerging technologies. After collecting corporate charters dating back centuries, he is using machine learning tools to analyze how the stated purpose of corporations has evolved over time.
The project, still in development, represents the type of long-term scholarship Kaja hopes will continue defining his research career. He plans to build on the original dataset and uncover new patterns that contribute to broader conversations about corporate purpose and governance.
Rather than following a carefully mapped-out career plan, Kaja says his academic journey unfolded one opportunity at a time. Each new challenge built on the last, leading him from CCNY to doctoral studies in Amsterdam and, eventually, to his current postdoctoral research in Germany.
“I never sat down and was like, okay, 10 years down the line, you’re going to be a postdoc in Germany,” he said. “It’s more of, this is what I want to do. I want to live a life with purpose, and to do so, I need to take these steps.”
That philosophy has become the advice he now shares with current CCNY students. Instead of focusing on where they hope to be decades from now, he encourages students to concentrate on consistently taking the next meaningful step.
“I would say start taking the small steps, no matter how small they are,” Kaja said. “That could mean enrolling in more challenging courses, finding research opportunities, or sometimes something as simple as showing up to class prepared.”
Sofia is a graduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College, where she’s pursuing her M.S. in Media Studies. Her work centers on cultural affairs, capturing people’s lived experiences, and producing work that is not only compelling and polished but also intentional, inclusive, and aligned with meaningful public impact. In addition to writing for The RICC, she’s a dedicated writer for the Brooklyn News Service.