Economists and professionals debate on the risks of financial markets

From 1 to 3 June, the UAB Casa Convalescència (Carrer Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 171, Barcelona) will host this year's conference of the International Finance and Banking Society (IFABS), organised jointly by the UAB, and the universities of Nottingham, Sheffield and Leicester. The conference will focus on financial market risks and the role of institutions and over 300 delegates from fifty different countries will be attending. The main speaker will be renowned economist Viral Acharya, professor of the New York University Stern School of Business.

With over 3,500 members, the IFABS is one of the world's main organisations devoted to the promotion of research in banking and finances. In this year's conference, attendants will talk on the assessment and management of financial risks. Academics, professionals and members of public administrations will share their viewpoints on the complex risks faced by financial institutions and the effects of these risks on economic growth.

According to the IFABS, these are urgent matters given that the perception of risk has been altered after the recent changes seen in global economics and ensuing financial crises, among other factors. In addition, complex corporate structures, opaque balances and shadow banking (entities outside normal financial regulations) contribute to generating more risk factors. The strategies aimed at reducing risks have demonstrated, in some circumstances, to have adverse effects. Sophisticated tools, new technologies and growing relations between capital markets have altered the idea of risk in the financial markets.

Throughout the conference there will be presentations on subjects such as financial crises, regulations, market behaviour, mathematical and computational models, intermediation, etc. Later, the results of the conference will be included in a special number of the Journal of Banking and Finance.