Organisers: Department of Economics and Finance & Centre for Global Finance & FinTech (CGFFT), School of Business, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK); Financial Intermediation Network of European Studies (FINEST)
The Department of Economics and Finance and the Centre for Global Finance & FinTech (CGFFT) at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK), in collaboration with the Financial Intermediation Network of European Studies (FINEST), will co-host the FINEST 2026 Autumn Symposium on 19–20 November 2026 at the HSUHK Library.
Under the theme “Bridging Research, Policy and Practice,” this one and a half day international symposium will bring together prominent academic scholars, policy experts, and senior industry leaders to examine pressing issues across digital assets, central banking, climate risk, financial stability, and monetary policy.
Keynote Address & Academic Highlights
The symposium opens on Thursday, 19 November, with welcome remarks from Prof. Sam Park (Dean of the School of Business, HSUHK) and Prof. Franco Fiordelisi (President of FINEST and Professor at Essex Business School).
A major highlight of Day 1 will be the Keynote Address delivered by Prof. Manju Puri (JB Fuqua Professor of Finance at Duke University, former Editor of the Review of Financial Studies, and former President of the Western Finance Association). Prof. Puri will present on “New Developments in Financial Markets,” bringing insights from her extensive work on banking, venture capital, financial inclusion, and FinTech regulation.
The academic sessions will showcase high-impact research papers across four dedicated tracks:
- Central Banking and Monetary Policy (Session I)
- Climate Risk, ESG and Banking (Session II)
- Financial Intermediation and Real Economic Effects (Session III)
- Digital Assets and Decentralized Finance (Session IV)
Each paper presentation will be accompanied by substantive discussant feedback from leading scholars across top regional and global institutions, including HKUST, CUHK, and HSUHK.
High-Level Policy & Industry Roundtable
On Friday, 20 November, the symposium will culminate in a featured Roundtable Discussion on “Hong Kong’s FinTech Development towards 2030 – Regulatory Challenges, Innovation and Lessons for Europe.”
Moderated by Prof. Roman Matousek (Head of the Department of Economics and Finance & Director of CGFFT, HSUHK), the panel brings together distinguished representatives from regulatory bodies, technology hubs, and academic institutions:
- Ir Eric Chan – Chief Public Mission Officer, Hong Kong Cyberport
- Dr Andy Cheng – Associate Director, CGFFT, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
- Prof Franco Fiordelisi – Director, Financial Technology Centre (FinteX), Essex Business School
- Dr Tom Fong – Senior Manager, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR)
- Ms Elizabeth Wong – Director and Head of Fintech Unit, Intermediaries Division, Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
- Mr Sam Yee – Expert in Risk Management and Compliance
The roundtable will explore Hong Kong’s regulatory framework for digital assets, AI applications in finance, monetary policy implications, and cross-border collaborative opportunities between Asia and Europe.
Event Details
- Date: 19–20 November 2026 (Thursday & Friday)
- Venue: HSUHK Library, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hang Shin Link, Siu Lek Yun, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
- Format: Paper presentations, discussant reviews, open Q&A, and policy roundtable
For full programme details and updates, please click here.
