HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Symposium in Banking and Finance (VSBF 2025) opened in Hà Nội on Thursday, bringing together 300 experts, practitioners and policymakers to share knowledge, exchange research findings, and discuss key issues shaping the future of the finance and banking industry.

Marking the 10th anniversary of this prestigious academic forum, Associate Professor Dr Bùi Hữu Toàn, chairman of the Banking Academy of Vietnam (BAV), said this year’s event comes amid profound transformations in the global financial landscape.

“The expansion of new financial institutions alongside non-traditional intermediaries is reshaping the landscape of the financial system, posing new demands for regulatory frameworks, supervision and ensuring system safety,” Toàn said.

He added that after years affected by geopolitical fluctuations, slowed growth and supply chain shifts, the world is entering a period of rebalancing, reshaping and reconnecting. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain technology are also driving innovation in business models, improving efficiency and access to financial services worldwide.

“Countries, including Việt Nam, are striving to find a balance between innovation and risk control, economic growth and sustainable development, and between international integration and macro-economic stability,” Toàn said.

Nguyễn Đức Khương, president of the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Worldwide (AVSE Global) and dean and managing director of France’s EMLV Business School, said: “From the global context of transformations to the local changes seen in Việt Nam over the last 10 months, the country is embarking on a profound transformation with four main directions to shape its future development.”

Khương outlined these four directions. First, Việt Nam has made the private sector a key driver of economic growth for the coming decades. Second, the country is focusing on institutional and legal reforms to create a more efficient and transparent framework, attracting international investors and companies to help build a peaceful, global economy.

“The third transformation, crucial for Việt Nam, is to place science and technology at the heart of economic growth and development, ensuring everyone can access financial resources and share prosperity. This is an ambitious goal, and Việt Nam is heading towards a new phase of development,” Khương said.

The final focus is on international relations and openness. Việt Nam is more than ever welcoming international corporations and collaborations, Khương added.

Participants at the three-day event exchanged the latest research on fundamental and current issues in global and regional financial systems. They examined the links between corporate governance, financial policy structures and the adaptability of emerging economies amid integration and market volatility.

New approaches to financial stability, banking management capacity and supervisory reforms were also discussed to enhance resilience in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment.

The forum emphasised sustainable finance, financial behaviour and macro-economic monetary policy, reflecting a trend towards efficiency, transparency and social responsibility in financial and banking activities.

Topics on innovation, digital transformation and the global knowledge ecosystem were highlighted as key drivers of development and competitiveness in the next phase of economic growth.

“These themes have not only academic significance but also clear policy directions, contributing practical solutions for improving financial and monetary institutions, enhancing banking governance capacity, and developing the Vietnamese capital market sustainably and in line with international integration,” Toàn said.

This year’s symposium features 16 sessions, including four plenary discussions, one roundtable and 11 parallel sessions presenting 31 selected research papers. Notable topics include cross-border knowledge sharing, international supply chains and the innovation ecosystem, ESG controversies and the seven sins of banking, and a policy roundtable on the rise of shadow banking and financial stability.

A special highlight is the ‘Meet the Editors’ session, giving Vietnamese researchers the chance to engage directly with chief editors and editorial board members of leading international academic journals in finance and banking.

The symposium was jointly organised by AVSE Global, BAV and the International Society for the Advancement of Financial Economics (ISAFE) in partnership with EMLV Business School and Massey University. — BIZHUB/VNS