Event Announcements/ News

Financial Modelling Post-2008: Where Next? Seminar 2
Empirical modelling: distributional assumptions/efficiency – 2008 crisis
21 - 22 March 2013

Location: School of Management, University of St Andrews
The Gateway, North Haugh
St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9RJ.
Google map of KY16 9RJ.

This ESRC research seminar is being organised by RBF Director Professor John Wilson. It is the second in a four seminar series in which leading experts present papers on two key themes absolutely central in financial modelling: distributional assumptions and efficiency. The conference series ties these two key themes to the events of the 2008 financial crisis, and attempts to shed light on how financial modelling can possibly be re-interpreted in light of the 2008 crisis.

More details: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/21496/seminar-2-financial-modelling-post-2008-where-next.aspx

PRI Academic Network / German Network event
13 – 14 December 2012
Frankfurt, Germany

The PRI Academic and PRI German Network Conference addressed many relevant responsible investment topics such as ESG integration, ESG engagement, ESG KPIs, ESG voting policies, Integrated Reporting, ESG analytics, ESG investment training, ESG ratings, ESG in sovereign/corporate debt, corporate governance and sustainability issues in the German market, carbon disclosure, green real estate, ESG in boardrooms or sustainability issues in financial markets.
This event was supported by RBF.
Find details in the Conference invitation (PDF, 85 KB).

Emerging Scholars in Banking and Finance 2012
11-12 December 2012
City University London

Cass Business School hosted the third Emerging Scholars in Banking and Finance Conference.
RBF members featured as contributors again this year.

Scottish Doctoral Training Centre PhD Workshop in Quantitative Methods

The Centre for Responsible Banking and Finance (RBF) organised a PhD workshop on Quantitative Methods in the School of Management at the University of St Andrews, UK on 29 October 2012. The workshop was sponsored by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences and the School of Management at the University of St Andrews.

The workshop was attended by more than 40 PhD students from eleven universities around the UK. The workshop featured sessions on methodological advancements in panel data, stock return predictability and event studies.

Workshop in Quantitative Methods October 2012 event leaflet (pdf).

Media Coverage

Friday 25 May 2012
RBF Deputy Director Dr Andreas Hoepner gives his views on ESG and alpha.
Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), and alpha | Analysis | Top1000Funds.com
Amanda White

Friday 27 April 2012
"ESG Leadership Forum: The Future of Sustainable Investing" Webcast

Thursday 8 March 2012
Gender diversity at board level – a financially significant issue? | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk
Mark Robertson
In recognition of International Women's Day (IWD), 8 March 2012 - celebrated and commemorated around the world - RBF researchers joined with colleagues at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg to put together a "Research Snapshot" focussing on how to address gender inequality at board level. See the Snapshot here: Women on Boards of Directors - Do they add value? (PDF, 424 KB).

Events (co-)organised by RBF

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Finance Week
11 – 18 July 2012
St Andrews, Scotland

Jointly organised by RBF and Responsible Investor this event consisted of three parts:

• The first – ESG Analytics for Finance Professionals - aimed at finance professionals, asset owners and marketers who need to understand more about ESG research and market developments as increasing numbers of clients place sustainability in their investment requirements.
• The second - Financial Analytics for ESG Professionals – aimed at those professionals whose experience has tended to be in the ESG fields but who are seeking a more developed financial framework for their work.
• Sandwiched between the two training courses - the 'big ideas' weekend: The ESG Finance Lab, a weekend of blue-skies-thinking presentations and discussions inspired by the TED conference phenomenon. A number of excellent speakers were in St Andrews to get the creative mind-juices flowing around the sustainable finance theme.

Download the Finance Week pdf brochure.

5 – 7 May 2012
2nd RBF Conference, Isle of Skye and St Andrews, Scotland
The Centre held its second bi-annual conference, with a keynote by the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI) CEO Dr James Gifford.

27 April 2012
ESG Leadership Forum: The Future of Sustainable Investing, London, UK
MSCI ESG Research, Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), University of St Andrews (RBF), UKSIF and Responsible-Investor.com hosted the ESG Leadership Forum in London and online via a global video livestream. The event included an ESG Leaders panel discussion and was followed by a set of thematic workstreams, in which experts from the industry, academia and policy making discussed the future of sustainable investing - from a macro and micro socio-economic perspective.
See ESG Leadership Forum Webcast.

19 – 25 February 2012
DHBW Lecture week, St Andrews
RBF had the pleasure of welcoming students from the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW). The students were visiting St Andrews for a lecture week. The event marks the beginning of a yearly fixture in the DHBW Master Programme.

8 December 2011
Nordea, MSCI & RBF Event, Helsinki, Finland
Dr Andreas Hoepner presented a talk titled "Integrating ESG into the Investment Process" at an event co-hosted by the Nordea Bank.

29 November 2011
1st RBF conference, St Andrews, Scotland
RBF held its first bi-annual conference, with a keynote by Dr Ioannis Ioaanou from the London Business School.

Events: Selected Presentations and Seminars Given

May 2012

Roundtable, RI/MSCI, New York, (Dr Hoepner)
"The business case for ESG in institutional investment" downloads (large pdfs): RI_MSCI_Roundtable_Part1 and RI_MSCI_Roundtable_Part2

2nd Responsible Banking & Finance conference, Isle of Skye, (Dr Gifford, Dr Hoepner, Ms Perez)

Plenary Speech, PRI German Network Event, Munich ERGO Asset Management (MEAG), Munich, (Dr Hoepner)

April 2012

Roundtable with online Livestream, ESG Leadership Forum, MSCI, London, (Mr Biehl, Dr Hoepner)

Seminar, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, Edinburgh, (Dr Hoepner)

Roundtable, Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, (Dr Hoepner)

British Accounting and Finance Association Conference, Brighton, (Dr Hoepner)

Presentation (50 min slot), Client Advisory Council, Hermes Equity Ownership Services, London, (Dr Hoepner)

Webinar (with Valeria Piani), Principles for Responsible Investment (Dr Hoepner)

March 2012

Seminar, HiPPO (Happiness in Public Policy Organisation), St Andrews, (Dr Hoepner)

February 2012

Executive Education Lecture, DHBW, St. Andrews, (Dr Hoepner)

Webinar, MSCI, (Dr Hoepner)

Seminar, Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, (Dr Hoepner)

January 2012

Executive Education Lecture, Principles for Responsible Investment, London, (Dr Hoepner)

Economic conditions and risk taking in European banking, to Workshop on Future of Banking, FUNCAS – Spanish Savings Banks Association, Madrid (Professor Wilson)

December 2011

Roundtable, MSCI, New York, (Dr Hoepner)

The Future of Banking & Financial Regulation Summit: Establishing a Stable and Competitive Banking Sector, London (Professor Wilson)

Executive Education Lecture, Principles for Responsible Investment, London

Seminar, Nordea, Helsinki, (Dr Hoepner)

Seminar, University of St Andrews Ethical Investment Campaign, St Andrews, (Dr Hoepner)

November 2011

1st Responsible Banking & Finance conference, St Andrews, (Mr Rezec, Dr Hoepner)

Seminar, RCM (Allianz Global Investors), London, (Dr Hoepner)

Seminar, School of Business, University of Dundee, (Dr Hoepner)