Conference and Symposium

COVID-19 has accelerated the speed of business innovation and digitization in many areas including banking, insurance, logistics, and even art ownership. Blockchain and Fintech are the natural paths to improve cost efficiency and service quality for business. However, technological breakthrough and innovation also bring uncertainty and risks that are not easy to measure in the early stage of adoption. With the global movement on promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ESG has generated tremendous research interest. We see a research gap on exploring the linkages among sustainability, risk and technologies applied in all areas of business. We expect that, technology can improve the efficiency and profit margin of businesses but it can also enhance sustainability such as the ESG performance of the product and services directly and indirectly. Thus, it is time to devote publication spaces on empirical evidence and directions of these linkages in business research.

We welcome research related to technology, innovation, sustainability and their linkages in a flexible manner. Researchers can submit papers addressing these issues individually or linking these elements together. We have the privilege of providing publication opportunities to accepted conference papers in two SSCI journals: Journal of Financial Stability (JFS) and Research in International Business and Finance (RIBAF). Editors-in-Chief and guest editors of the conference-track of these journals will attend the presentations and evaluate the papers. Presenters will receive feedback of paper recommendations within one week and accepted papers are expected to be published by end of 2022 in regular issues of these two journals.

Empirical and conceptual studies examining the financial and CSR/ESG performance of businesses. An additional investigation of the financial sector and/or the technology sector is preferred but not required.

The financial and CSR/ESG performance of technological and innovative practices in finance and other business sectors.

The risk aspects of applying new technology and ESG integration.

The effects of sustainability (including ESG) and/or technology on disclosure, reporting and valuation.

How corporate governance practices (e.g, audit committee and regulation changes) may be affected by the digitization and ESG integration of business.

How COVID-19 may accelerate the usage of technology and ESG practices.

Chairman: Louis Cheng, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Track 1: Journal of Financial Stability (JFS):

Iftekhar Hasan (CE), Fordham University

C.S. Agnes Cheng (GE), University of Oklahoma

Louis Cheng (GE), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Walid Saffar, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Qiang Wu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Track 2: Research in International Business and Finance (RIBAF):

John Goodell (CE), University of Akron Department of Finance

Louis Cheng (GE), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

David Chui, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Roman Matousek (GE), Queen Mary University of London

(Note: CE = Chief-editor of the journal; GE = Guest-editor of the journal’s conference-track papers)

Nov 1, 2021 – Applications will open on the RIB website and the deadline for submissions is March 31, 2022.
April 21, 2022 – Acceptance announcement for paper presentations and open for registration
May 25, 2022 – Registration and payment deadline
Jul 6-8, 2022 – Conference (Journals’ acceptance decisions available by July 15, 2022)
Oct-Dec 2022 – Final manuscript submission and acceptance by journals