Centre for Global Finance
Overview
The Centre for Global Finance is established under the AXA Chair in Global Finance.
The centre undertakes rigorous research that aligns with policy and practice, exploring major shifts in China's infrastructure investment in Africa in the post-COVID-19 era. China’s overseas infrastructure investment (OII) has undergone a process of adjustment since Covid-19. The fundamental changes are related to infrastructure financing. China has reduced its financing for large scale infrastructure investments in Africa. This change has significant implications for the infrastructure development and economic performance of African countries, the export structure of the natural resources and energy sector in Africa, and the localisation of China’s investment in Africa. The centre’s research aims to empirically investigate the consequences of the above-mentioned changes on African host countries.
Director
Professor Hong Bo, AXA Chair in Global Finance
Hong Bo is a Professor in Financial Economics at the School of Finance & Management, SOAS University of London. Professor Bo received her degrees in Economics from Lanzhou University of China (BA), Renmin University of China (MSc), London School of Economics and Political Science, UK (MSc.), and University of Groningen, the Netherlands (PhD). Her research interests cover topics in financial economics, including firm investment decisions under uncertainty, capital market imperfections, comparative financial systems, corporate finance, corporate governance, the Chinese economy, and China’s state-financed overseas infrastructure investment across the globe. She has published in internationally well-recognized academic journals, including Journal of Corporate Finance, Review of Finance, Regional Studies, Journal of Banking and Finance, Economica, European Journal of Finance, and International Review of Financial Analysis. In addition to her responsibilities at SOAS, Professor Bo has also actively engaged with the public regarding knowledge transfer beyond SOAS by delivering public lectures for industry, providing executive training for officials in international organisations, and teaching for other universities both in the UK and overseas. She frequently provides expert commentary for the media including BBC, CNBC, Sky News, TRT WORLD, RT TV, and CCTV dialogue, etc.
What we do
- Leading scientific research: We undertake rigorous research that aims to significantly enhance the knowledge, practice and policy in the areas of financial stability, inclusive and sustainable growth, and economic transformation.
- Connecting scholars, practitioners and policy makers: In the centre's weekly research seminars and other events, we bring together world-leading scholars, practitioners and policy makers through various events, throughout the year. The idea is to facilitate the generation of new findings as well as dissemination of knowledge and experiences in relation to the global financial system and the world economy. We also host visiting scholars from universities and research institutions across the world.
- Supporting education: We dedicate our expertise and resources to supporting the teaching and learning of global finance via our host research laboratory, the School of Finance and Management, SOAS University of London, via bespoke BSc, MSc, PhD programmes with some scholarships provided.
Research and Development Projects
The centre conducts research on major challenges and trends in global finance through a diverse portfolio of impactful projects, providing significant implications for both policy and practice. Our projects explore China's infrastructure investment in Africa in the post-COVID-19 era, inclusive financial development and growth, fintech, and the application of "big data" and machine learning methodologies in finance. Additionally, we investigate critical issues relating to financial markets and institutions in Africa, China, and India, aiming to understand and foster economic progress and innovation in these regions.
By collaborating with global partners, the centre also actively participates in major international development projects, focusing on critical areas such as climate risk finance and the strengthening of research and innovation ecosystems in Africa.
The centre's research and development projects have been supported by highly competitive grants from various traditional and non-traditional funding agencies, including the AXA Research Fund; Economic and Social Research Council; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; National Natural Science Foundation of China; and Indian Council of Social Science Research, totalling approximately four million pounds.
Contact us
Professor Hong Bo
Email: hb22@soas.ac.uk
Dr Meng Xie
Email: xm1@soas.ac.uk
Dr Jeffrey Ighedosa
Email: ji8@soas.ac.uk
