Asia-Pacific Digital Economy Forum 2026 – PolyU Digital Economy Workshop (Hong Kong)

Hosted by the Research Centre for Digital Economy (RCDE) under the School of Accounting and Finance at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), we are pleased to announce that Asia-Pacific Digital Economy Forum 2026 – PolyU Digital Economy Workshop (Hong Kong) will be held on 6 - 7 July 2026. 

Theme: Elevated Sovereign Debt and the Fiscal–Monetary Nexus

Academic Workshop 
Date: 6 July 2026 (Monday)
Time: 9:30 am - 6:00 pm (Registration starts at 9:15 am)
Venue: AG710, 7/F, Poly U

Industry Forum on Digital Economy & FinTech
Date: 7 July 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:30 am-1:00 pm (Registration starts at 9:15 am)
Venue: AG710, 7/F, Poly U

Background and motivation
Elevated debt levels and constrained fiscal capacity have refocused attention on debt sustainability, sovereign risk pricing, and macro-financial outcomes. The fiscal–monetary interaction is therefore a core channel through which inflation expectations, policy credibility, and financial stability are determined. At the same time, digital transformation is reshaping economic and financial mechanisms that matter for sovereign risk and policy transmission. FinTech-enabled intermediation, platform finance, digital payments, data- and AI-driven credit allocation, and emerging monetary innovations can alter liquidity conditions, risk premia, capital-flow dynamics, and the sovereign–financial sector nexus.
This workshop aims to foster frontier research that integrates these strands using rigorous theory, credible empirical identification, and disciplined quantitative modelling. We particularly encourage submissions exploring intersections across sovereign debt dynamics, fiscal–monetary interactions, and digital transformation. We also welcome research on innovation-led growth under high-debt regimes, including whether and how financial access and credit conditions can protect firms’ innovation activities when fiscal space is constrained. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Sovereign debt & fiscal–monetary nexus
• Debt sustainability, sovereign spreads, default/restructuring risk
• Fiscal dominance, credibility, inflation dynamics, and policy coordination
• Monetary policy under high-debt constraints; unconventional tools
• Sovereign–bank nexus, financial stability, spillovers and capital flows
Digital economics, FinTech & modelling
• FinTech, platform finance, and digital payments: inclusion and risk
• CBDCs, stablecoins, and crypto-assets: transmission and sovereign risk
• Big data and AI: forecasting, evaluation, and risk monitoring
• Digital finance and credit allocation: innovation under high public debt

Keynote speakers
• Professor Sushanta Mallick, Queen Mary University of London
• Professor Kai Li, The PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University
• Additional keynote and invited speakers will be announced in due course

Journal support and submission invitations
This workshop is supported by partner journals. Following the workshop, authors of selected and conference-presented papers will be invited/encouraged to submit their manuscripts to the following outlets (subject to each journal’s scope and editorial decision):
• European Economic Review (EER) — Special Issue: “Elevated Sovereign Debt and the Fiscal–Monetary Nexus” (Guest Editor: Sushanta Mallick).
• Economic Modelling (EM) — Special Issue: “Digital Economics & FinTech: Modelling” (Guest Editors: Xuan Zhang and Zilong Wang).
• Oxford Economic Papers (OEP) — Selected high-quality papers will be recommended to Oxford Economic Papers (OEP) for consideration with a fast-track review process (subject to confirmation).
Important note: Workshop presentation and/or invitation to submit does not guarantee publication. All submissions will undergo the journal’s standard independent peer-review process.
Submission
Submissions from researchers worldwide are welcome:
• Full paper, or
• Extended abstract (2–3 pages)
Submission email: xuanzhang.nanking@gmail.com

Timeline
• Submission deadline (final): 1 June 2026
• Rolling review and notification: decisions will be communicated on a rolling basis; early submissions will receive earlier decisions
• Registration deadline (to confirm attendance): 10 June 2026
• On-site check-in: 5 July 2026
• Academic workshop: 6 July 2026
• Industry forum (Digital Economy & FinTech): 7 July 2026

Registration
Due to limited capacity, registration was accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration fee for AF faculty members and students are waived. For external participants, registration fee of HK$2,000 will be charged for this event. Participants are responsible for making their own travel and accommodation arrangements. 
For PolyU AF Faculty members, please register (Here) 
For PolyU AF PhD students, please register (Here) 
For Guests, please register (Here)

For enquiries, please contact Ms Mandy Chan at mlokchan@polyu.edu.hk or Dr. Paul Wang at paul.wang@polyu.edu.hk.

Conference Chairs

• Professor Nancy Su, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Professor Pengcheng Song, Xi’an Jiaotong University
• Dr Xuan Zhang, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Organising Committee (alphabetical by surname)

• Professor Sushanta Mallick, Queen Mary University of London
• Professor Pengcheng Song, Xi’an Jiaotong University
• Professor Nancy Su, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Dr Paul Wang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Dr Zilong Wang, University of Cambridge
• Professor Xiuyun Yang, Xi’an Jiaotong University
• Professor Yong Yang, Shanghai Polytechnic University
• Dr Xuan Zhang, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics