Baruch College and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Host Annual Research Symposium

Faculty, PhD students gather to share cutting-edge research, foster collaboration

July 12, 2023

For over a decade, Baruch College and the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) have hosted an annual joint research symposium – celebrating the deep ties between the two institutions and fostering joint PhD education, collaborative research, the exchange of visiting professors, and numerous scholarly publications.

This year’s symposium, hosted by the Zicklin School’s Weissman Center for International Business and chaired by Krell Professor of Finance Lin Peng, featured panel discussions on an array of pressing issues – ranging from the impact of climate change on real estate prices to the ways in which viral social media content is shaping financial markets.

The annual event is an important opportunity for faculty at both colleges, according to Professor Peng: “The symposium features faculty members and PhD students presenting cutting-edge research in finance, accounting, and technology. It also provides a platform that fosters the exchange of new ideas which ultimately lead to knowledge creation and publications in top-tier academic journals. The event also strengthens our strategic partnership with Southwestern University of Economics and Finance, bolstering collaborative efforts and enhancing academic ties.”

Ph.D. students and  professors from Zicklin and SWUFE were invited to share their latest research, often joint projects between faculty at the two schools.

In one paper, a group of professors explored how mandatory retirement policies impact the behavior of independent directors on company boards, while another mined Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) data to question whether the efficiency of regional federal courts influences which companies the SEC initiates enforcement actions against.

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