2026 ZUEL International Workshop on Frontiers in Finance Research

2026 THEME: FRONTIERS IN ASSET PRICING

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 | ONLINE

Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL) is pleased to announce the inaugural ZUEL International Workshop on Frontiers in Finance Research, an annual workshop dedicated to advancing rigorous and innovative research in finance and fostering intellectual exchange among scholars worldwide.

Each annual edition of the workshop will focus on a timely theme at the frontier of finance research. The theme for 2026 is Frontiers in Asset Pricing. We invite submissions of high-quality theoretical and empirical papers that deepen our understanding of asset prices, financial markets, investor behavior, and the allocation of risk and capital.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

l Hengjie Ai, Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin–Madison

l Chi-Yang Tsou, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester

l Jie Cao, School of Accounting and Finance, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

l Kevin Aretz, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester

WORKSHOP CO-CHAIRS

l Hening Liu, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester

l Minggui Yu, Zhong, School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

TOPICS OF INTEREST

We welcome papers on all areas of asset pricing, including, but not limited to:

l Theoretical and empirical asset pricing, including cross-sectional return predictability

l Macro-finance and consumption-based asset pricing

l Household finance and portfolio choice

l Behavioral finance and investor expectations

l Financial intermediaries and asset prices

l Institutional investors and delegated portfolio management

l Market liquidity, trading, and price formation

l Fixed income, credit risk, and derivatives

l International asset pricing and global financial markets

l Climate finance and sustainable investing

l Machine learning, textual analysis, and alternative data in asset pricing

l Digital assets, fintech, and emerging-market finance

Submissions addressing other important and emerging questions in asset pricing are also encouraged.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Authors are invited to submit a complete working paper written in English through the workshop’s online submission system. Papers must not have been published or accepted for publication by the submission deadline. Papers under review at journals or circulated as working papers are eligible.

Submission portal: [INSERT SUBMISSION-SYSTEM LINK]

There is no submission fee. Each submission should include:

l The paper title and abstract

l An anonymized complete manuscript in PDF format

l The names, institutional affiliations, and contact details of all authors

l Identification of the corresponding author

The review process will be anonymous. The manuscript PDF must not include author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, or other identifying information; author details should be entered separately in the online submission system.

The working language of the workshop is English. All submissions, presentations, and discussions should be in English.

Submissions from early-career researchers and doctoral students are particularly welcome. All papers will be evaluated according to the same standards of academic quality and contribution.

By submitting a paper, authors acknowledge that, if the paper is accepted, the presenting author may be invited to serve as a discussant for another paper on the program.

A limited number of papers will be selected through an anonymous review process based on academic quality, originality, methodological rigor, contribution, and relevance to the 2026 theme. The limited program is designed to ensure substantial presentation time, dedicated discussion, and in-depth feedback for every selected paper.

IMPORTANT DATES

All deadlines are stated in China Standard Time (UTC+8).

WORKSHOP FORMAT

The workshop will be held entirely online. A limited number of papers will be selected to ensure substantial presentation time, dedicated discussion, and in-depth feedback from participants. Each accepted paper will receive a formal presentation slot, a dedicated discussion by an assigned discussant, and general questions and comments from participants. Presenting authors may be invited to serve as discussants for another paper on the program. Detailed information concerning the program, online platform, and presentation arrangements will be provided to authors of accepted papers. At least one author of each accepted paper must confirm acceptance and participation by the presenter confirmation deadline and present the paper at the workshop. Registration details for non-presenting participants will be announced on the workshop website.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

The ZUEL International Workshop on Frontiers in Finance Research is envisioned as an annual forum connecting established scholars, early-career researchers, and doctoral students working at the frontiers of financial economics. Through keynote addresses, research presentations, and scholarly discussion, the workshop seeks to promote internationally engaged research and develop lasting academic collaborations.

CONTACT

2026 ZUEL International Workshop on Frontiers in Finance Research

School of Finance, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

Email: wang_www333@163.com

CMT ACKNOWLEDGMENT:  The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.

We warmly invite scholars from around the world to submit their work and join us online.