European Research Conference on Microfinance

First European Research Conference on Microfinance

Title: First European Research Conference on Microfinance 2nd – 4th June 2009

Publication Date: 25-5-2009

Université Libre de Bruxelles
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM, ULB)

From 2nd to 4th June the First European Research Conference on Microfinance, organized by the Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi), in partnership with the Research Working Group of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), will take place in Brussels (Belgium).
The First European Research Conference on Microfinance aims at gathering leading academic researchers and providing researchers with the opportunity to present their work; discuss it, and exchange ideas with international colleagues. It will be held over three days, consisting of three plenary sessions and several parallel panels based on a thematic selection of academic papers.
More than 200 papers and abstracts, submitted by prospective participants from about 50 countries, have been evaluated by ten members of the International Scientific Committee of the Conference, chaired by Prof. Marek Hudon (SBS-EM, ULB).
The Conference is organized around three Plenary Sessions, covering the most essential questions microfinance is facing today: Social Responsibility, Client-led Microfinance, and Rural Microfinance. The first plenary session Social Responsibility will consider the various aspects of social responsibility in microfinance and discuss related empirical results, illustrated by case studies of Africa and Latin America. The second plenary session Client-led Microfinance will assess the diversity and complexity of financial needs of typical microfinance clients, while the third plenary session Rural Microfinance will focus on successful rural microfinance products in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and pinpoint the key challenges the sector needs to overcome to serve borrowers in remote areas. The third session will be organized in co-operation with the NGO SOS Faim.
Experts in various fields of microfinance have confirmed their presence as keynote speakers in these sessions, among them Jonathan MORDUCH (New York University, USA), Paul MOSLEY (University of Sheffield, UK), Kimanthi MUTUA (K-Rep, Kenya) and Stuart RUTHERFORD (SafeSave, Bangladesh) and Jean-Michel Servet (GIIDS, Switzerland).
This First European Research Conference is organised with the support of the NGO ADA, Blue Orchard and the cooperative Alterfin, as well as the BNP Paribas, BRS, Incofin, PlaNet Finance and the World Savings Bank. Finally, the conference is supported by the Fonds National Belge pour la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS).

About the organizers:

The Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi) aims at developing suitable frameworks to critically examine existing microfinance practices and to promote academic research through the support of doctoral research programs, international publications and the organization of workshops and seminars. In particular, CERMi focuses on four main research axes: new products and innovation in microfinance, Corporate Governance in microfinance, public policy in microfinance and ethical aspects of microfinance.
Website: www.cermi.eu
The main objective of the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) is to facilitate the exchange of information and to promote cooperation among the various European actors involved in microfinance in developing countries. e-MFP members include banks and financial institutions, government agencies, NGOs, consultancy firms, researchers and universities. Its main mission is the promotion of innovative and inclusive financial sectors in developing countries. The e-MFP is organized in different working groups, focusing on Research, Capacity Building, Innovation for Rural Outreach, Social Performance of MFIs, and Remittances.
Website: www.e-mfp.eu

Location

Plenary Session: Salle Dupréel, Bâtiment de Sociologie
Avenue Jeanne, 44
1050 Bruxelles
Workshop:Salle AW 105/120/121/124/126
Avenue F.D Roosevelt, 50
1050 Bruxelles

For more information on the conference

see www.microfinconf.eu or contact: Ms Petra Solli (Email: psolli@ulb.ac.be, Tel: +32/(0)2 650 66 01, GSM: +32/(0) 484/87 91 90), Mr Thibaut Lejeune (Email: tlejeune@ulb.ac.be, Tel: +32/(0)2 650 48 69, GSM: +32/(0) 479/05 82 85).