Global warming, pandemics, the rising cost-of-living, and new web-based technology have all contributed to a world in constant flux
People around the world have faced a very challenging year. Floods and forest fires caused by global warming, the Covid-19 pandemic, and another financial crisis brought on by a massive hike in fuel and gas prices.
These are the types of catastrophes that the University of Portsmouth’s new Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Finance (CISF) has been set up to investigate, and so far mitigate.
The CISF aims to help governments, organisations, individuals, and society navigate an evolving financial landscape. The Centre will do this through research and investigation into a variety of fields, from Fintech to green investment, money laundering to cybercrime, ethical finance to environmental, and social and governance sustainability to personal credit and national solvency.
Members include 54 experts across three faculties at the University, who have already carried out several high-profile projects; most recently looking at the financial resilience of Premier League football clubs, tax avoidance in sub-Saharan Africa, and Covid-19 ‘price gouging’ in the EU.
The team has developed solid relationships with prominent organisations both in the UK and globally, including the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, NASDAQ, the EU, and overseas governments. On top of research and investigating, collaborations will also involve co-organising events such as conferences and workshops, delivering expert talks on topical issues, and providing consultancy services.
Solving the world’s problems requires a cross-disciplinary approach, looking at areas of research through the lens of finance to discover, for example, the economic and social consequences of global warming or of pandemics such as Covid-19
Professor Jia Liu, CISF Centre Director and Professor of Accounting and Finance at the University of Portsmouth, said: “The Centre serves a nexus for bringing together researchers from all faculties, as well as with research institutes across the globe. Finance, in common with many other areas of research, can no longer stand alone.
“Solving the world’s problems requires a cross-disciplinary approach, looking at areas of research through the lens of finance to discover, for example, the economic and social consequences of global warming or of pandemics such as Covid-19. The team is also scanning the horizon for new threats and advising governments on how to avoid old ones.”
The Centre will officially be launched during the 11th International conference of the Financial Engineering and Banking Society (FEBS) on Friday 10 June. This year’s FEBS conference was hosted by the University of Portsmouth and co-organised by the Centre and Montpellier Business School in France.
The launch of the Centre marks an important part of the University's continued commitment to identify and solve problems, enrich people's lives, and create lasting impact
Professor Jeremy Howells, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation, University of Portsmouth, said: “To be successful, we need to nurture and inspire researchers at all career stages in the creation of new knowledge. So, in addition to providing them with mechanisms to stimulate and support them, the Centre also underpins and strengthens our PhD programmes, enabling our doctoral researchers to acquire the up-to-date skills and specialist knowledge essential for careers in Finance and related fields.”
Professor Karen Johnston, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth, added: “The launch of the Centre marks an important part of the University's continued commitment to identify and solve problems, enrich people's lives, and create lasting impact."
More information about the Centre for Innovative and Sustainable Finance, including recent projects and publications, can be found here.