2025 WEFIDEV - RFS - CEPR Conference
Many critical issues span the intersection of Financial Economics and Development Economics. Understanding financial markets in developing countries is pivotal for fostering sustainable economic growth, improving living standards, and reducing poverty. Efficient financial systems can enable better allocation of resources and provide businesses and individuals with essential tools for managing risk and making critical investments. Conversely, much of the evidence on financial markets is from rich countries, which are likely not representative of the vast majority of the global population. To learn more about financial systems in developing countries, we bring together scholars to discuss the latest research, trends, and innovations.
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WEFIDEV program 2025.pdf
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The focus of this conference is motivated by the unique challenges and opportunities financial systems present in developing countries. Frictions in financial markets in developing countries are often more severe than frictions in more developed markets due to a combination of factors, including more constrained financial intermediaries and poorly functioning legal institutions. At the same time, these countries have often taken innovative approaches that leapfrog more established systems, adopting cutting-edge technologies. For instance, India’s United Payments Interface (UPI) system has revolutionised the payments landscape, providing a model of rapid adaptation and integration of digital finance. Such innovations can offer valuable lessons for global financial systems.
To promote research on issues in this important area, the WEFIDEV network in Finance and Development, the CEPR, the Review of Financial Studies, and the International Growth Centre (IGC) will convene a research conference on finance and development.
The programme will be organised by RFS Executive Editor Tarun Ramadorai of Imperial College London, RFS Editor Manju Puri of Duke University, and programme chairs Giorgia Barboni (Warwick University), Kim Fe Cramer (LSE), Sean Higgins (Northwestern University), Nicola Limodio (Bocconi University and CEPR) and Rocco Macchiavello (LSE, CEPR & IGC) along with a programme committee listed below. The conference will be held in person on March 28th and 29th in London and will be hosted at the LSE. This will be the first of three yearly conferences in finance and development featuring a dual submission option with the RFS.
We invite the submission of empirical – both experimental and non-experimental – as well as theoretical work on financial markets in low and middle-income countries. We encourage submissions from early-career scholars including PhD students, and underrepresented groups.
For any other questions, please email [email protected].
RFS Sponsoring Editors
Manju Puri (Duke University) and Tarun Ramadorai (Imperial College Business School and CEPR)
Programme Chairs
Giorgia Barboni (Warwick University), Kim Fe Cramer (LSE), Sean Higgins (Northwestern University), Nicola Limodio (Bocconi University and CEPR), and Rocco Macchiavello (LSE, CEPR and IGC)
Programme Committee
1. Shilpa Aggarwal (Indian School of Business)
2. Shashwat Alok (Indian School of Business)
3. Santosh Anagol (University of Pennsylvania)
4. Francis Annan (UC Berkeley)
5. Vimal Balasubramaniam (Queen Mary University and CEPR)
6. Lorenzo Casaburi (University of Zurich and CEPR)
7. Emanuele Colonnelli (University of Chicago and CEPR)
8. Cláudia Custódio (Imperial College and CEPR)
9. Ralph De Haas (EBRD and CEPR)
10. Julia Fonseca (University of Illinois)
11. Rajkamal Iyer (Imperial College and CEPR)
12. Olivia Kim (Harvard University)
13. Cynthia Kinnan (Tufts University)
14. Nirupama Kulkarni (CAFRAL)
15. Jacopo Ponticelli (Northwestern University and CEPR)
16. Simone Schaner (University of Southern California)
17. Amit Seru (Stanford University and CEPR)
18. Janis Skrastins (Washington University in St. Louis)
19. Tavneet Suri (MIT and CEPR)
20. Christopher Woodruff (Oxford University and CEPR)
The event is supported by the IGC’s Agri-SME Evidence Fund. Funded by Aceli Africa, the evidence fund aims to understand the mechanisms and impact of the flow of catalytic capital to agri-SMEs to improve livelihoods and environmental performance. It promotes high-quality academic research at the intersection of agriculture, finance, and SMEs, and has a geographic focus on East Africa. For more information on current funding opportunities, see here.