IBSS Hosts 2025 Seminar on Derivatives and Financial Technology

On 17th May 2025, the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) hosted the ‘2025 XJTLU Seminar on Derivatives and Financial Technology,’ a forum that brought together leading scholars and finance professionals to explore emerging research and innovation in the field of finance.

Organised in collaboration with the ‘Jiangsu Provincial Distinguished Professor Talent Programme’ and the ‘Research Centre for Emerging Technologies and Innovation’ (RCE2), the seminar welcomed renowned academics and industry experts from top universities including the University of Sydney, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Peking University HSBC Business School, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), among others.

Co-organised by Dr Xinfeng (Edwin) Ruan and Dr Jia Zhai of IBSS – with Dr Ruan also serving as seminar moderator – the event offered a robust platform for discourse on cutting-edge topics such as derivative pricing and applications of financial technology.

The seminar opened with a welcome address from Professor Lixian Qian, Associate Dean for Research at IBSS. He highlighted the university’s growth since its founding in 2006, noting that XJTLU is now home to more than 25,000 students and 1,800 staff and is recognised as the largest English-language business school in China.

Since its inception in 2013, IBSS has achieved ‘triple-crown’ accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) in just 12 years, an achievement that underscores its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and industry engagement. With approximately 20 undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes, IBSS offers a vibrant, international learning environment supported by over 180 academic staff, including 30 international faculty, 40 academics with extensive industry expertise, and backed up by more than 50 dedicated professional services staff.

Professor Qian invited participants to visit IBSS’s cutting-edge Trading Floor, featuring more than 20 Bloomberg terminals, to witness first hand how state-of-the-art facilities are an enabler for the school’s practical and research-led approach to finance education.

The seminar was divided into two academic sessions in the morning and afternoon, covering cutting-edge topics such as asset pricing, options markets, financial technology, macroeconomic expectations, investor behaviour, and the application of large language models in the futures market. Seven keynote speakers presented their latest research findings, covering areas like the term structure of index option returns, machine learning in option trading, and the predictive capabilities of China's implied volatility surface (IVS).

Seven senior discussants, two of whom also served as speakers, offered expert commentary by blending rigorous academic critique with real-world relevance. Attendees found their insights to be theoretically profound and practically inspiring.

The seminar’s vibrant Q&A session sparked in-depth debate on key issues including “the information content of China’s options market,” “the integration of large language models and factor investing,” and “the market reaction mechanism to rare event risks” – demonstrating the seminar’s role in facilitating academic exchange and research collaboration.

In his closing remarks, Professor Xuezhong He, of the IBSS Department of Finance, described the workshop as “not only a feast of academic ideas but also a bridge for cross-border co-operation between academia and industry.” He announced plans to elevate the seminar into an annual international conference, with 2026 set to feature a special session on Green Finance and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Investing. Additionally, a dedicated seminar on Asset Pricing is scheduled for June 2025.

Emphasising the platform’s future impact, Professor He stated, “we are committed to building this event into an ‘exquisite and impactful’ academic brand, enhancing regional influence, and injecting intellectual resources into the construction of Suzhou as an international innovative city.”

As a research-led international business school, IBSS has achieved excellence across a range of fields, including management, economics, accounting, and finance. Its research activities consistently reflect the School's vision, embodying the distinctive integration of Chinese and Western academic models, and are committed to driving positive societal impact through research-driven initiatives.

By hosting international research events such as this, IBSS brings together leading scholars and experts from across the disciplines of business education. These gatherings serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing experiences, and applying research findings to real-world scenarios, reinforcing the School’s dedication to meaningful academic exchange and industry contributions.