AoF - CEO Message (June 2024)

Welcome everyone to the latest quarterly update on the activities of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF).
The AoF, established in 2019 as a unique institution at the intersection of policymakers, academics, and the financial industry, officially reached its five-year milestone this month. Thanks to the ongoing support of AoF Members and stakeholders, the AoF is today considered a prestigious platform for senior financial leadership development. The Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR), celebrating its 25th year in August, is also well-regarded locally and internationally as a credible and relevant research institute.
Looking ahead, the AoF plans to further strengthen our outreach and communication efforts that incorporates the valuable feedback of our recent Members Survey* and with the support of the AoF Board.
Our Financial Leaders Programme (FLP)* is already off to a good start, with a comprehensive calendar of events planned for the 2024 cohort. We also continue to line up speakers for our Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS)* , and are hosting close-door roundtables for regulators and the FLP Alumni in support of ongoing interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and leadership developments, following the positive responses we have heard from Members.
In addition, we have been collaborating with various international organisations in co-hosting high-level seminars on a wide range of topics. For instance, in April, we co-hosted an International Conference on CBDCs and Payment Systems with the HKMA and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and we hosted the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office in presenting their 2024 Regional Economic Outlook report. In May, we co-hosted two seminars with the IMF, one on Asia’s economic outlook, and another on a discussion of global economic issues. And this month, we co-organised a National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) East Asian Seminar on Economics. All of these efforts have allowed us to attract top international scholars to Hong Kong for knowledge sharing with local researchers and market participants.
I also attended the ASEAN+3 Finance Think-tank Network (AFTN) Steering Committee earlier this month, and I look forward to broadening our collaborations with the other research institutions in the region through the Network.
Finally, hot off the press are the two applied research reports on Decentralised Finance* and Metaverse*. Together they provide an in-depth analysis on these technologies, as well as an overview of the regulatory landscape internationally and in Hong Kong. We look forward to engaging the industry in promoting these reports.
We continue to have a busy agenda ahead and we are planning for more Members gatherings in the coming months as well. Again, I look forward to your continuous support!
Thank You!
Enoch Fung
CEO, Hong Kong Academy of Finance
June 2024
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Member Survey: www.aof.org.hk...
Financial Leaders Programme (FLP): www.aof.org.hk...
Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS): www.aof.org.hk...
HKIMR Applied research report on Decentralised Finance: www.aof.org.hk...
HKIMR Applied research report on Metaverse: www.aof.org.hk...