On the 12 and 13 of September, we held the seventh annual Finance and Society Network (FSN) conference at the Management School in association with our Centre for Research into Accounting and Finance in Context (CRAFiC). We welcomed over 130 guests from 20 nations as far as Chile and Australia to over 40 enriching sessions.
We had many expert guest speakers share their insights. Matthias Thiemann, Associate Professor for European Public Policy at Sciences Po, kick-started the conference with his keynote ‘Taming the Cycles of Finance’. After this, guests had the option to attend a roundtable on ‘Corporate Scandals’ from Financial Times Capital Markets Correspondent Robert Smith, or they could join a panel discussion on topics ranging from ‘Gender and Finance’ to ‘Digital Finance Infrastructures’.
After a lovely lunch and an opportunity to network in our Courtyard Café, Kean Birch, Director of the Institute for Technoscience & Society at York University, Toronto, hosted a roundtable discussion about his book ‘Data Enclaves’, whereby he answered questions and was open to discussion and comments from other panel members, including Lecturer in Valuation and Governance Dr Callum Ward.
The first day was concluded with a keynote from Professor of Political Economy Dick Bryan of the University of Sydney on ‘Protocols for Postcapitalist Finance’, before our guests had the opportunity to reflect on the day and share insights during our evening reception.
The following morning, we hosted more panel discussions ranging from ‘Globalising Finance’ to ‘Transactional Rationalities’ before Professor of Financial Innovation Julie Froud from the University of Manchester presented her keynote on ‘Finance, Infrastructure and The Public Good’ focusing on the water industry in England and Wales.
The conference was a huge success and provided new momentum for the Management School and CRAFiC with many thanks to organisers Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance Dr Daniel Tischer, Professor in Accounting & Society and Director of CRAFiC Adam Leaver, and Reader in International Political Economy Dr Amin Samman.
We later hosted an insightful workshop as a part of the global discussion surrounding rebound effects and the circular economy. The workshop in collaboration with Young Scholar's Initiative (YSI) explored the question: ‘Does the circular economy really lead to a reduction in energy and material consumption?’.
The event provided the opportunity for early-career scholars to engage with top academics such as Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Andrea Genovese, Life Cycle Sustainability Manager Dr David Font Vivanco and Associate Professor of Norwegian University of Science and Technology Juudit Ottelin, advancing knowledge in sustainability and ecological economics, aligning with the Management School’s research priority to encourage positive societal transformation and sustainable policy outcomes.
Sessions included a presentation on the ‘Fundamentals of circular economy’ from Professor Andrea Genovese, followed by presentations from Dr David Font Vivanco and Associate Professor Juudit Ottelin on both ‘Rebound effects: concept, evolution and relevance to the circular economy’ and ‘Quantifying and analysing rebound effects’. Presentations were followed by Q&As to open discussion with the early years scholars.
The early years scholars then had the opportunity to present their research proposals and receive feedback from field experts. Due to the workshop's success, the Management School plans to build on this and make this an annual event, with many thanks to organisers Management School Research Associate Dr Ben Lowe and Research Assistant at Research Institute of Applied Economics Dr José Bruno Fevereiro.
