Event

Access to suitable and affordable finance is a precondition for meeting basic human needs and a key ingredient in small entrepreneur, job, and wealth creations. Inclusive financing and its innovation are a useful instrument that helps those excluded from society to access financial services. Moreover, emerging economies, including China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and others, have experienced rapid economic growth over the past several decades, however, these markets still have long posed a challenge for finance. Financial inclusion and emerging markets finance are high on the research and policy agenda. A broad exchange on micro, macro and policy topics in these areas will advance our knowledge and ultimately provide effective solutions to the many unique problems arising in emerging economies.

To provide cutting-edge insights into current research work on financial inclusion and emerging market finance, we invite papers on the following topics but are not limited to:

•    The development of microfinance and rural finance;
•    Roles of banks or other financial institutions in financial inclusion;
•    Financial inclusion versus financial stability: is there a trade-off? ;
•    The impact of financial inclusion on poverty;
•    Institutional issues: management, governance, legal form, transformation, growth, mission drift;
•    Financing for mirco-, small and medium enterprises and agribusinesses;
•    Innovation in microfinance, internet finance, crowdfunding and seed financing
•    Small firm finance in emerging markets;
•    Policy and regulatory issues related to financial inclusion;
•    Banking business models and their impact on profitability and operational efficiency in emerging financial markets;
•    Capital markets activities and development in emerging economies;
•    Financing of cleantech and sustainability in emerging markets;
•    New thinking in emerging market design
•    The effect of global regulatory reforms on emerging financial markets.

BACKGROUND
China-UK Microfinance and Rural Finance Conference is a forum for presentation of research results, practices, innovations in the fields of microfinance and SME finance. Contributors and participants include academia, researchers, financial service providers and policymakers. The conference is organized by the SWUFE- Aberystwyth Microfinance, Rural Finance and Agriculture Organization Joint Research Centre. It will be hosted by the School of Management and Business, Aberystwyth University (UK), in cooperation with the School of Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (China), and York University Schulich School of Business. 

SPONSORING JOURNALS
Authors are encouraged to submit their papers to special sections of the Emerging Markets Review and Finance Research Letters. Acceptance to the conference does not imply acceptance into the special sections.  Submissions to the journals will follow normal review practices by the journal editors, and will be coordinated by Douglas Cumming.  The deadline for submission to the special sections is August 1, 2016.

PAPER SUBMISSIONS
Authors are invited to submit full papers or detailed proposals to Douglas Cumming dcumming@schulich.yorku.ca and Yizhe Dongyid1@aber.ac.uk by 15 April 2016. Early Submission is encouraged. Papers will be selected for presentation at the conference by the Committee and will be notified by 25 April 2016. For general enquiries about the event please contact Yizhe Dong via yid1@aber.ac.uk. 

• Region Global
• Language English
• Keywords Microfinance, Rural Finance