China focus for Melbourne global finance conference: the president of China's Economic Cooperation Center, Mr Cao Baijun, and former director-general of the World Trade Organisation, La Trobe University's adjunct professor Mike Moore, were keynote speakers at the 14th Annual Global Finance Conference which was held in Melbourne between 1 April and 4 April 2007

Australian Banking & Finance, April 15, 2007

In Australia for the first time, the conference was hosted by La Trobe University's Faculty of Law and Management for leading finance professionals, educators, and policy makers. It attracted nearly 200 delegates, with papers presented by speakers from more than 37 countries.

Mr Cao Baijun, whose centre fosters business co-operation between China and the rest of the world, spoke on China's future economic reforms. The theme of Professor Moore's Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute keynote presentation was the impact of globalisation, with reference to the rise of China.

The two other keynote speakers were Mr Geoff Stapledon, managing director, Institutional Shareholder Services, Australia, and Dr Don Brash, former governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and leader of the National Party.

Mr Stapledon delivered the AAMI insurance keynote address on governance and investment issues related to listed infrastructure funds, asking: 'Do they turn governance on its head?'

Dr Brash provided the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman keynote address on Foreign Direct Investment: 'The host country perspective'.

Conference subjects ranged from banking, insurance, multinational finance, interest rates, corporate governance, financial crises management to currency issues, emerging markets, privatisation, ethics and social responsibility and legal and regulatory issues.

The conference also offered a Mandarin language session, dealing with interest-free banking and Islamic finance, and featured a legal and regulatory stream.

It was accredited by the CFA Institute for its members worldwide and was held under the auspices of the Global Finance Association, which solicits innovative ideas and research studies in global finance and related disciplines.