Accounting and Finance Conference

Accounting and Finance at ULSB invites submissions for its inaugural research conference 'The Future of Finance and Accounting: Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Systemic Change'.  This flagship event is intended to establish a recurring platform for high-quality research exchange, positioning Accounting and Finance at ULSB as a focal point for scholarly dialogue on the future of these disciplines in the UK and internationally.

The conference will be held on Thursday 4 June 2026 at the School of Business campus, Brookfield.

Call for papers

Rapid technological advancements - including artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, blockchain, and digital platforms - are fundamentally reshaping financial systems, institutions, and markets, as well as the practice, and infrastructure of accounting.  These developments are transforming how financial and accounting information is generated, analysed, and communicated, while raising important questions for governance, transparency, accountability, and financial stability.

At the same time, these transformations are closely linked to broader challenges facing modern economies, including sustainability, financial inclusion, and the evolving role of accounting and finance in supporting responsible economic development.

The conference aims to bring together scholars working at the forefront of these developments and to foster dialogue across finance, accounting, and related disciplines.  It particularly welcomes interdisciplinary work bridging accounting and finance.

The programme will feature a keynote address by Professor Sheri Markose (University of Essex), titled “The Future of Digital Payments and the Role of Central Bank Digital Currency”, a panel discussion, and a PhD poster session, providing an opportunity for doctoral researchers to present their work in an informal and interactive setting.  Poster presentations will take place during the breaks, encouraging discussion and feedback from participants.

To recognise excellence across contributions, the conference will feature several awards including a Best Conference Paper Award, Best Accounting Paper Award, Best Finance Paper Award and a Best PhD Poster Award.

Keynote

Professor Sheri Markose

Sheri Markose is Professor of Economics at the University of Essex and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics. As Founder Director of the Centre for Computational Finance and Economic Agents (CCFEA), she has pioneered a multidisciplinary curriculum in FinTech and the digital economy. This has culminated in the AI-FincubeX | University of Essex Tech incubator, where students develop operationally relevant solutions for FinTech and the digital economy.

Her recent advisory roles include work on Central Bank Digital Currency with the Bank of England and a MENA central bank. She has developed data-driven, population-scale agent-based models to support CBDC adoption in economies dominated by bank deposit-based digital payments.

Her work has also contributed to mapping the Indian financial system using network modelling and the Markose-Giansante R-number stability index to manage systemic risk at the Reserve Bank of India. She has acted as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on systemic risk from derivatives and served as an academic advisor to the G20 OTC Derivatives Regulatory Reforms.

Her longstanding interest in the foundations of Complexity Sciences, Computation Theory and Gödel Incompleteness results has helped her formulate the significance of Adversarial Digital Games and How We Became Smart based on Godel’s Liar. These are shown to result in an arms race in novelty and surprises within a framework of a genomic self-referential blockchain. 

Since 2017, she has been an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Robotics and AI, and in 2025 she edited a Special Topic on AI and AGI with leading computer scientists and neuroscientists.

Conference topics

We welcome theoretical and empirical contributions in, but not limited to, the following areas:

Digital finance, technology and data

• FinTech, digital banking, and platform-based finance
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning in finance and accounting
• Blockchain, digital assets, and decentralised finance
• Financial data analytics and algorithmic decision-making

Accounting transformation and the future of the profession

• Digital reporting, real-time accounting, and data-driven transparency
• The impact of AI and automation on the accounting profession and practice
• The future of auditing, assurance, and risk assessment in digital environments
• Data governance, accounting information systems, and digital control frameworks
• Professional judgement, ethics, and accountability in technology-enabled environments

Banking, financial institutions, and system stability

• Banking, financial intermediation, and the role of financial institutions
• Financial regulation, governance, and stability in digital environments

Sustainability, inclusion and societal impact

• ESG, sustainability reporting, and climate finance
• Environmental accounting and sustainable investment
• Financial inclusion and access to finance
• SME finance and entrepreneurial ecosystems
• The role of financial and accounting information in reducing inequalities

Submission guidelines

• Full papers or extended abstracts (2-3 pages) are welcome.
• Submissions should be in PDF format.
• Submissions should include author names, affiliations and contact details.
• Please also indicate the thematic area that best fits the submission (e.g. digital finance, accounting innovation, sustainability, banking) to support the review process and session organisation.

Submission deadline: 8 May 2026
Notification of acceptance: 15 May 2026
Registration deadline: 20 May 2026

Conference registration and fee

The conference is open to both internal and external participants and online registration will be open in May 2026.

• Standard delegate fee: £50
• PhD student fee: £25

The registration fee includes access to all sessions, conference materials, refreshments and lunch.

Contact and submissions

For any questions about the conference and to submit papers please email afconference@le.ac.uk