The 5^th Annual Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN) Conference held on May 9-10, 2024, organized by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Center (DGFRC) and hosted by McGill Desautels, served as a gathering point for thought leaders and decision-makers from academia and the finance industry. The conference explored the latest research and advancements in sustainable finance practices, both in Canada and globally, with the overarching goal of facilitating the transition of Canada’s financial system towards sustainability. Furthermore, in collaboration with McGill's Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), a policy symposium focusing on climate finance was held at Notman House.

The 2024 conference focussed on topics at the intersection of corporate governance and sustainability and the conference featured academic paper and discussion sessions. We were particularly pleased to welcome Professor Luigi Zingales, Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago who delivered a keynote address on “The Banality of Corporate Evil”.

The Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre (DGFRC) of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University is presenting a conference series that brings together thought leaders and decision makers from academia, public policy and the business world with the goal to promote thought exchange, dialogue, and the exploration of solutions to global challenges in finance and economics.

The topic for the 2023 Desmarais Global Finance Lecture is “How to (and not to) Regulate Crypto”. The conference, organized in partnership with the Global Interdependence Center, will feature an academic keynote address by Christine Parlour, Professor and Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting at the University of California at Berkeley.

The keynote speaker will be joined by Ananya Kumar, Associate Director at The Atlantic Council, Nobuyasu Sugimoto, Deputy Division Chief, Financial Supervision and Regulation Division, IMF, Miguel Diaz, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Toronto, Franca Ciambella, Senior Consultant at the Global Law Alliance, Pascale Toupin, Director, Oversight of Intermediaries at the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Elizabeth Côté, Director, Digital Innovation Impact Hub at Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI), Laurent Féral-Pierssens, Managing Partner at BlockZero Advisors, Shaun Martinak, Research/Portfolio Manager, Coinbase Asset Management and David Adler, Partner, McCarter & English, LLP, who will participate in different presentation and panel sessions. Professors Kathy Yuan (London School of Economics) and Katya Malinova (McMaster) will present their recent academic work on the topic. The full agenda, along with the complete list of speakers, is below.

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Staged on September 29, the 2023 Cryptocurrency Conference at Desautels, organized by professors Katrin Tinn and David Schumacher, convened participants from 28 diverse organizations, including universities, regulatory bodies, and the private sector. While cryptocurrency promises borderless potential, the notion that it is completely unregulated isn’t accurate either.

Organizers

We are proud to announce that our event has been awarded a Platinum Sustainable Event certification by the McGill Sustainable Events program run by the McGill Office of Sustainability.

We thank our sponsors

Sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre

In collaboration with the University of Luxembourg

Date: March 26 - 28, 2023
Location: Ischgl, Austria

Academic papers in all areas of finance, including interdisciplinary work in law and finance, sustainability, and new financial technologies were presented. The number of participants was limited to ensure an informal atmosphere conducive to open and lively discussions.

Recent editions of the workshop included participants from Boston College, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Houston, LBS, Maryland, MIT, Northwestern, Minnesota, Toronto, UBC, UC Davis, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Washington University, Wharton, and Yale.

Organizers

• Patrick Augustin (McGill University)
• Piotr Orłowski, HEC Montréal
• Roberto Steri, University of Luxembourg

The Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre (DGFRC) of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University initiated a new conference series that brought together thought leaders and decision makers from academia, public policy and the business world with the goal to promote thought exchange, dialogue, and the exploration of solutions to global challenges in finance and economics.

The theme for the inaugural Desmarais Global Finance Lecture which took place on September 28, 2022 was “Central Bank Digital Currencies and Alternative Payment Systems”. The event, organized in partnership with the Global Interdependence Center, featured an academic keynote speech by Darrell Duffie, Adams Distinguished Professor of Management and Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.

He was joined by Miguel Diaz, the Head of BIS Innovation Hub Toronto, Paul Chilcott, Advisor to the Governor, Bank of Canada, Jim Cunha, Executive Vice President of Secure Payments and FinTech at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Adrian Docherty, Head of Bank Advisory, BNP Paribas, Glenn Goucher, Executive Advisor, Tetra Trust Company, along with other experts in central bank digital currency and payment systems. The conference day included presentations and panel discussions. 

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Why Digital Currencies Could Change the Future of Central Banking

Central Bank Digital Currencies represent a possible next step in the technological evolution of banking and the financial intermediation sector — but their roles and risks just now becoming clear.

Organizers

David Schumacher

Associate Professor, Finance

Katrin Tinn

Assistant Professor, Finance

Sponsors:

Sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre

Special Edition with Goethe University - Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance

Date: March 27 - 29, 2022
Location: Ischgl (Tyrol, Austria)

Academic papers in all areas of finance, including interdisciplinary work in law and finance, will be presented. The number of participants is limited to ensure an informal atmosphere conducive to open and lively discussions.

Recent editions of the workshop included participants from Boston College, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Chicago Booth, Columbia Business School, Houston, LBS, Maryland, MIT, Northwestern, Minnesota, Toronto, UBC, UC Davis, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Washington University, Wharton, and Yale.

Organizers

• Patrick Augustin (McGill University)
• Jan Ericsson (McGill University)
• Mathieu Fournier (HEC Montréal)
• Alexandre Jeanneret (University of New South Wales)
• Tobias Tröger (Goethe University, LawFin)
• Michael Weber (University of Chicago)

Co-sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre

AI In Capital Markets: Our Future is Now

AI: Humanity's most disruptive technology
Issues, Challenges, Opportunities for the Global Financial Community

FIAM is honored to hold its first international conference in close partnerships with two outstanding conference co-chairs: Pierre Boivin, CEO of Claridge and Chairman of Mila and William (Bill) J. Kelly CEO of CAIA Association. Pierre was a driving force behind positioning Montreal as a thriving artificial intelligence ecosystem on the global scene.

The conference spans over two days – three hours each day.
Presentations are recorded and will be made available for replay on FIAM website and the websites collaborating organizations.

November 2 & 3, 2021

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