The 12th Annual Conference of the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research (ABFER) convened in Singapore from May 19-22, 2025, bringing together leading financial economists from around the world for scholarly exchange and collaboration.
Professor Jun Pan (Professor of Finance, SAIF Chair Professor, and Chair of Faculty Council) attended alongside PhD students Qing Peng and Xingjian Zheng, presenting research that demonstrated the institution's commitment to advancing financial scholarship.
This year's conference featured 21 parallel sessions spanning ten comprehensive thematic areas: International Macroeconomics; Money and Banking; Corporate Finance; Investment and Financing; Trade, Growth and Development; Accounting; Real Estate and Urban Economics; Household Finance; Sustainable and Green Finance; Labor Economics; and a newly introduced track on Technology, Digital Markets and Artificial Intelligence.
SAIF scholars presented two competitively selected papers during the academic sessions. Professor Jun Pan and doctoral student Qing Peng contributed "Top Government Meetings in China," while SAIF Chair Professor of Finance Yongxiang Wang and co-authors presented "The Distribution Side of Insurance Markets." These presentations reflected the breadth and depth of research excellence that distinguishes SAIF's academic contributions.
As an ABFER Executive Committee member and Senior Fellow, Professor Pan chaired the inaugural PhD Posters Session, a new platform designed to foster direct academic engagement through visual presentations and face-to-face discussions. From 90 submissions worldwide, only 15 posters were accepted for presentation. SAIF's strong representation included "Failure To Jettison: The Cost of Labor on the Path to Recovery" by SAIF Chair Professor of Finance Xiaoyun Yu and co-authors, and "Memory and Generative AI" by SAIF doctoral student Xingjian Zheng. Professor Pan presented awards to session winners and emphasized the platform's vital role in promoting academic dialogue and innovation.
About ABFER
Co-founded by distinguished scholars from Asia, North America, and Europe, ABFER serves as a premier research network modeled after the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). The organization advances Asia-Pacific focused financial and economic research while facilitating meaningful dialogue among academics, practitioners, and policymakers to strengthen institutional research capacity and promote sustainable development.
SAIF's Continued Academic Leadership
SAIF's sustained participation in ABFER conferences reflects its position at the forefront of global financial research. With over 80 faculty members—including 44 tenured professors recruited from top international business schools—SAIF leads China in publications within the top three finance journals, with 59 papers including those under the CAFR designation. The institution's faculty members have garnered prestigious global academic awards and secured influential editorial appointments, reinforcing SAIF's reputation for rigorous research excellence and world-class intellectual innovation.
