The theme of the forum this year is "Capital Flows, Financial Markets and Economic Integration in Asia". The workshop will discuss monetary and financial issues and policies in Asia (e.g., the region’s exchange rate regime, international reserves, monetary policies and capital flows), as well as monetary and financial cooperation in Asia (e.g., optimum currency area, exchange rate coordination and monetary policy coordination). There will be also a Public Lecture by Prof. Barry Eichengreen of University of California at Berkeley on "Corporate Governance in Asia".

Other invited speakers include Prof. Dominick Salvatore (Fordham University), Prof. Tony Cavoli (Queensland University of Technology), Prof. Yin-Wong Cheung (University of California at Santa Cruz), Prof. Hans Genberg (Hong Kong Institute of Monetary Research), Prof. Andrew Hughes Hallett (George Mason University), Dr. Corrinne Ho (Bank for International Settlements), Prof. Manfred Keil (Claremont McKenna College), Dr. Khor Hoe Ee (Monetary Authority of Singapore), Prof. Eiji Ogawa (Hitotusabshi University), Prof. Michael Plummer (SAIS-Bologna), Prof. Helen Popper (University of Santa Clara), and Prof. Willem Thorbecke (George Mason University).

We hope that this inaugural forum will form a platform for academics, private sector economists and policy makers to discuss the key issues in financial markets and economic integration in Asia, generate ideas for further research, and forge a better understanding of the research’s implication for policies.