:: Background for the PFN Conferences

PFN is a network of Portuguese Finance researchers which was created in 1999 with the main purpose of contributing to the development of the field in Portugal. Its major activity is the organisation of a major international conference every two years where academic researchers from all parts of the world can present and discuss papers in the presence of internationally reputed top academics in the field of Finance.

Past PFN conferences were held at the University of Minho (2000), University of Évora (2002), ISEG/UTL - Technical University of Lisbon (2004), University of Oporto – Faculty of Economics (2006) and University of Coimbra (2008). These conferences are regarded as the most important scientific events taking place in Portugal in the field of Finance, and have consistently attracted a large number of international researchers which account for most of the papers presented at the conferences.

The Scientific Committee of the past PFN Conferences included names such as Antonio S. Mello, Arnold R. Cowan, Chris Adcock, Dean Paxson, Edwin Elton, Elroy Dimson, Gordon Alexander, Gordon Gemmill, Ian Cooper, J. D. Agarwal, Jay Ritter, Jean Dermine, Jeffrey Callen, Julia Sawicki, Lawrence Kryzanowski, Maria Vassalou, Marshall Blume, Martin Gruber, Menachem Brenner, Michael Adler, Michael Brennan, Michael Jensen, Paul Laux, Pedro Santa-Clara, Pradeep Yadav, Richard Brealey, Richard Stapleton, Robert S. Pindyck, Rui Albuquerque, Simon Benninga, Stephen Brown, Stephen Figlewski, Stephen Taylor, Sydney Howell, Theo Vermaelen, Tom Berglund, Wayne Ferson and William Megginson, among many others.

The Keynote Speakers in PFN Conferences were Richard Brealey (in 2000), Edwin Elton (in 2002), Eduardo Schwartz (in 2004), Werner De Bondt and Clifford Smith (in 2006) and Stephen J. Taylor and Georges Gallais-Hamonno (in 2008). It’s worth noticing that Franco Modigliani participated in the 2000 closing ceremony via video-conferencing.

At the 6^th Portuguese Finance Network Conference we will be honoured with the presence of Professor Stewart Myers from Sloan Management School of MIT.