April 12 – 13 2018 at BI Norwegian Business School
Thursday April 12th
09:30 Coffee and registration
09.45 – 10.00 Opening remarks, Ebba Boye Rethinking Economics Norway
10.00 – 11.30 What is Modern Money Theory?
Rohan Grey (Modern Money Network)
Jesper Jespersen, Roskilde Universitet.
Comments by Erling Steigum, BI Norwegian Business School.
Moderated by Thorvald Grung Moe
What is money, and where does it come from? If the government can print its own money, why do we need taxation? And what are the consequences for eurozone countries that have given up their monetary sovereignty? These are among the questions asked by Modern Money Theory (MMT), a school of macroeconomic thought. In this session you will learn more about how money works, and discuss how monetary technology can be used to build a better society.
11:30 – 12:30 LUNCH
12.30 – 14.30 What gives Cryptocurrencies value?
Torbjørn Bull Jenssen, Menon Economics
Asker Voldsgaard, Københavns Universitet.
Moderated by Morten Clausen, Director for Financial Regulation UNI Europa
Who controls money? How is it valued? These are unsettled questions in economics. Different schools of thought have opposing views, and the emergence of cryptocurrencies challenge them all. In this session, Torbjørn Bull Jenssen will discuss how bitcoin fits into these economic theories and the long history of money. Asker Voldsgaard will then take a critical view to the usefulness of cryptocurrencies as a general means of payment.
15.00 – 17.00 Crises: Do we need to fix our financial system, and how?
Causes and consequences of the crisis,
Sheila Dow, University of Sterling
Reflections on financial regulations before and after the crisis,
Christoffer Kok, European Central Bank
The governance of financial institutions and the duty to say “no”
Barbara A Bukhvalova, BI Norwegian Business School
Moderated by Giulia Porino, Finance Watch, presenting the Change Finance #10YearsOn Campaign
17.30 – 19.00 Finance and Sustainability
Is our current financial system inherently unsustainable? If so, how can we change it? If not, which tools can we use to channel more investment into areas that are valuable to society?
Speakers:
Jørgen Randers, Professor of Climate Strategy, BI
Christa Clapp, Research Director Climate Finance CICERO,
Matthew Smith, Head of Sustainable Investment, Storebrand Asset Management.
Nina Lazic, Research and Advocacy Officer Financial systems for sustainability, Finance Watch
FRIDAY APRIL 13TH
Coffee and registration opens at 9:30
8.45 – 10.00 Breakfast meeting #10YearsOn Campaign – Room A2 -090
In September, it will be 10 years since the peak of the financial crisis. Now, a coalition of civil society actors and social movements are gearing up to use the occasion of the 10th anniversary to make a point: despite the high price paid by millions of people, we still see a financial system that benefits the few, and the risk of a new collapse has not gone away. Together we will be preparing actions and coordinating political messaging. We would like Nordic actors to get involved and create their own national chapter of the #10YearsOn campaign.
Moderated by Giulia Porino and Shonan Kothari, Finance Watch
10.00 – 11.30 What is money?
What makes money different from other assets? And how can our understanding of money prevent financial crises and promote prosperity?
With Ann Pettifor, PRIME Economics
Comments from a Norwegian point of view by Bjørn Skogstad Aamo, former head of The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway
11.30 – 12.30 LUNCH
12.30 – 14.00 From shadow banking to market-based finance: old wine in new bottles?
What are shadow banks and how do they operate? This session will discuss the nature and creation of “shadow money” and the potential structural fragilities involved. What are the implications for our financial system? And for the stability of our economies.
With Daniela Gabor, associate professor UWE Bristol
Comments by Thorvald Grung Moe, Levy Institute, former Central Bank economist
14.15 – 15.45 Why and how do we regulate modern finance?
It is time to take a step back and ask why we regulate money and finance, referring to different theoretical positions and different historical experiences, and taking account of modern technological developments. This is a panel on Law, Economics and Finance and the rationale for various financial regulations. Do some financial instruments give rise to more pain than gain?
With Sheila Dow, Professor Emeritus, University of Stirling
Comments by Rohan Grey (MMN) and Morten Kinander (BI)
On Saturday April 14th The Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) invite you all to listen to young scholars from around the world present their research.
There will be a roundtable to discuss “Shadow Banking and Challenges on Regulation” with professors Daniela Gabor and Ann Pettifor, as well as the participation of Finance Watch and Rethinking Norway . Young scholars’ presentations will cover the following topics: Financial System, Finance and Inequality, Finance and Environment, Digital Currencies, Financial Market Regulation and Shadow Banking. More information about how to sign up can be found at: https://www.ineteconomics.org/events/ysi-rethinking-finance-oslo