On November 26, 2022, the International Conference on Fintech and Digital Finance (2022), co-sponsored by the School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and the Innovation and Introduction Base of Digital Technology and Modern Finance Discipline, was successfully held online. Four internationally renowned scholars have been invited to deliver keynote speeches at the conference, including Prof. Gehua Ai (National University of Singapore), Prof. Lin Cong (Cornell University), Prof. Yang Liyan(University of Toronto), Prof. Lei Lu (University of Manitoba), and Prof. Sushanta Mallick (Economic Modelling Editor)  in chief of Modelling) made speeches as editor in chief of academic journals and organized paper presentations in six parallel forums.

Mingshan Zhou, Vice President of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, extended a warm welcome to all the experts, scholars, guests and friends attending the ceremony. He said that in the new stage of development, how China should deepen the structural reform of the financial supply side through fintech and promote the high-quality development of the Chinese economy and society is a major theoretical and practical issue worthy of in-depth discussion. This conference will gather first-class scholars at home and abroad to discuss and exchange ideas on the practical and theoretical frontiers of fintech development. It will contribute new wisdom, form new views and produce new achievements to promote the development of fintech. The results of the conference will also provide useful guidance and inspiration for the construction of digital technology and modern financial innovation base, and inject new vitality into the development of financial discipline.

Professor Minggui Yu, dean of the School of Finance at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and co-director of the Innovation and Introduction Base of Digital Technology and Modern Finance Discipline, said that in the new journey of Chinese-style modernization, China's fintech is a strategic force to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern and promote high-quality development. School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law is one of the earliest financial investment talent training bases in New China. In 2021, the Digital Technology and modern Finance Innovation and Intelligence Introduction Base was selected into the Discipline Innovation and Intelligence Introduction Plan of higher institutions jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The International Conference on Fintech and Digital Finance, jointly held by the School of Finance, Central South University of Finance and Economics and the Innovation and Introduction Base of Digital Technology and Modern Finance, together with the internationally renowned academic journals on Economic Modeling, will promote the scientific research and international exchange of fintech.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Yongbin Lv, Deputy Dean of School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and Deputy Director of Innovation and Introduction Base of Digital Technology and Modern Finance Discipline.

In the keynote speech segment, four heavyweight guests made wonderful speeches. In the title of "Willingness to Pay for Credit", Professor Gehua Ai of the National University of Singapore introduced a study on the financial decision made by household consumers when facing mortgage loan. Cornell University Jungle Professor Lin Cong, Regulation, and User Union in the Era of Digital Platforms and Big Data delves into how the digital economy and big data are thriving, The rising era of digital platform, anti-monopoly, data regulation and user group model research. With the title Open Banking under Maturity Transformation, Professor Liyan Yang from the University of Toronto interpreted the impact of open banking on social welfare, bank financing and borrowers. Professor Lei Lu, University of Manitoba, titled "International Corporate Bond Market: Uncovering Risks Using Machine Learning", described the forecasting situation of international corporate bonds under the method of machine learning. The keynote speech was hosted by Professor Yueh Hua Tang from the University of Florida.

Sub-forum 1 Digitization and Economic development

Host: Professor Xiong Xiong, Tianjin University

Professor Shudan Wang from Jinan University presented the paper Does Digital Transformation Increase the Labor Income Share of Employees? Mr. Ye He from Nankai University reported the paper Export Destination Concentration, Displacement Risk, and Corporate Investment in China. JIANG Bo from Xi 'an Jiaotong Liverpool University presented a paper titled "The Impact of Fintech on Banking: Evidence from Banks' Partnering with Zelle, Mr. Gecheng Yuan from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law presented the paper Does Fintech Development Amplify Financial Crisis from Household Debt Expansion? Zilong Song from Nanjing University of Finance and Economics reported the paper FinTech and the Puzzle of Local Government Debt: "Doorkeeper" or" Backdoor". The participating scholars made mutual comments on the papers, and Professor Xiong made a summary comment on the papers.

Sub-forum 2 Digitization and Innovation

Host: Xuanjuan Chen, Professor, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

Dr Hongyu Li from Ningbo University Business School presented The paper "The Development of Fintech and SME Innovation: Empirical Evidence from China, Dr. Zeng Gudian from Central South University Business School presented the paper "How Does Digital Finance Affect Industrial Structure Upgrading? Empirical Evidence from Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities, Dr. Qi Wang, School of Finance, Central University of Finance and Economics, reported on the paper "Bank Fintech, Liquidity Creation and Risk-taking: Evidence from China, Dr. Zehao Yan from the Financial Management and Accounting Institute of Xiamen University presented the paper "Can Digital Finance Boost Corporate Green Innovation". Dr. Yuxi Zhang, School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, presented the paper "Causal Effect of Local Government Governance and Blockchain Industrial Agglomeration". The participating scholars made mutual comments on the papers, and Professor Xuanjuan Chen made a summary comment on the papers.

Sub-forum 3 Digitization and Capital Market

Host: Professor Luo Ronghua, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics

Chi Yujing, PhD, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, UK, presented a paper entitled "ESG Effects and the Cost of Equity Around the World". Public Data Access and Stock Price Synchronicity: Evidence from China is presented by Huiyu Wen of Renmin University of China.Xifan Li from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law presented a paper "The impact of Fintech on Corporate Resilience during Public Health Emergencies - Empirical Evidence from the Stock Market.Qi Wang from Wuhan Light Industry University reported the paper "How do Cybersecurity Incidents Affect Corporate Disclosure Policies?.Siyi Zhang from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law presented a paper "The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment Liberalization on Firm's Pollution Emissions: Evidence from China. Professor Ronghua Luo reviewed the papers one by one, and the authors also reviewed each other.

Sub-forum 4 Fintech and Big Data methods

Host: Professor Bin Li, Wuhan University

Xing Liu, University of British Columbia, reported Picking Lemons? Algorithm-aided Human Decisions in Selection Markets: Evidence from Field Experiments on Insurance Agents, Antai Li from Huazhong University of Science and Technology reported the paper "CEO Weibo, Green Cognition and CSR Performance: A Big Data Approach. Yinru Lei from Wuhan University reported the paper Mutual Fund Performance without Omitted Variables Bias. Ximing Chen of Renmin University reported on the paper "Can Enterprise Digital Transformation Reduce the Reliance on Bank Credit: Empirical Evidence from Chinese A-share Listed Companies, Guowen Li of Central University of Finance and Economics reported the paper "Do Financial Institutions with Similar Risk Have Stronger Risk Correlation: Evidence from Textual Risk Disclosures. The scholars in the report reviewed each other's papers, and Professor Li Bin made a summary comment on the papers.

Sub-forum 5 Digitization and Asset pricing

Host: Professor Fuwei Jiang, Central University of Finance and Economics

Dr. Lingling Guo from Huazhong University of Science and Technology reports its paper "Increasing the Hong Kong Stock Market Predictability: A Temporal Convolutional Network Approach. Dr. Jian Chen from Xiamen University reported on the paper Labor Flow Shocks Matter for Asset Pricing. Dr. Lei Ge from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics reported the paper "Deep Reinforcement Learning for Pairs Trading" : Evidence from Soybean Commodities, Dr Ying Jia from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law presented the paper Investor Sentiment and Internet Attention in Stock Return Forecasting: Evidence from ChiNext, Dr. Shu Liu, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, presented the paper "Economic Policy Uncertainty and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from the United States. The participating scholars made mutual comments on the papers, and Professor Fuwei Jiang made a summary comment on the papers.

Sub-forum 6 Digital Finance International

Host: Professor Chao Zhou, National University of Singapore

Maria Joao Jorge of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria in Portugal reports on the paper "Have Fintech Companies Higher Values than Their Traditional Financial Peers? , Professor Xudong Tang from the School of Business Administration of South China University of Technology reported the paper Has Punishment a Spillover Effect on the Unpunished via Cross-ownership? , Anamika Anamika from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, reports the paper "Breaking News Headlines: Does It Make or Break the Cryptocurrency Market". The participating scholars made mutual comments on the papers, and Professor Chao Zhou made a summary of the parallel forum.

In the last part of the conference, Professor Sushanta Mallick from Queen Mary University of London gave a speech as editor, which was presided over by Associate Professor Sun Xianming, Executive Deputy Director of the Innovation and Introduction Base of Digital Technology and Modern Finance. Professor Mallick gave an in-depth introduction to Economic Modelling journals in terms of impact factors, journal ranking, review process and manuscript preferences. Professor Mallick interacted with the scholars and gave detailed answers to the questions posed by the audience. Finally, Associate Professor Xianming Sun summed up the speech and thanked Professor Mallick and Economic Modelling for their support.