The 20th China International Conference in Finance (CICF) was held from July 6th to 9th, showcasing its status as one of the world's prestigious financial academic conferences. This year witnessed the active involvement of leading financial and economic scholars from across the globe, either attending in person or participating online. The conference successfully drew a record-breaking number of participants, with a total of 1437 individuals in attendance. Additionally, there were an impressive 1854 submitted papers, of which 237 were accepted for presentation during the conference's 60 academic sessions. Seven outstanding papers were honored with the esteemed CICF Best Paper Award, Xia Yihong Best Paper Award, and Xiyue Best Paper Award.
The conference—chaired by Professor Jiang Wang from MIT Sloan School of Management, Mizuho Financial Group Professor, Senior Advisory Visiting Professor, and Chair of the Academic Council at SAIF—showcased exceptional leadership. The Paper Review committee—led by Professor Kewei Hou, the Ric Dillon Chair Professor in Investment at Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University; alongside co-chair Professor Neng Wang, the Tenured Chair Professor of Finance at Columbia University and Visiting Professor at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business—ensured the rigorous evaluation and selection process of the accepted papers. Moreover, distinguished economist Christopher A. Sims, a Professor at Princeton University and Nobel Laureate in Economics, delivered a keynote speech entitled "The Appeal and the Pitfalls of Tax-free Public Finance."
Since its inception in 2002, CICF has served as an inclusive platform for scholars worldwide to present their cutting-edge research and stimulate new development in the field of finance. Over the years, it has grown to become the largest financial academic conference in Asia, renowned for its high academic standards. Notably, since 2013, the co-hosting partnership between MIT Sloan School of Management and SAIF, along with various Chinese universities, has further enhanced the conference's prominence and reputation.
