GIC Abroad:

GIC abroad is particularly tailored to promote face-to-face dialogue with leaders in monetary, political, and social policy, throughout the globe.  Many sessions are private and closed to the press so that GIC delegates may engage in open conversation with officials and among themselves.  Nearly all trips have a public conference component. GIC abroad trips are frequently limited in size and registrants must be GIC members.  Registrations are on a first come, first served basis for our membership.  Events occur several times a year and are truly global. 

Upcoming Trips and Events:

GIC Presents its 2010-11 International Conference Series:
Financial Interdependence in the World’s Post-Crisis Capital Markets


Through a series of globally arranged conferences on several continents, GIC plans to convene worldwide meetings to discuss the new post- crisis interdependencies among and between financial market agents. We will examine newly expanded roles for governments, central banks, NGOs and private financial and non-financial businesses. Each country or region visited will include a public seminar where prominent presenters and discussants will address specific issues of financial interdependence. World capital flows, central bank independence, reserve currency
status, fiscal policy changes, and credit market structures are among the topics that will be examined.

Because the world is not yet out of financial and economic danger, the commercial real estate crisis worsens, certain classes of securities remain un-priced and un-cleared, these discussions gain even more relevancy. The number of conferences and their venues could increase as the turmoil continues which is why we are setting aside two years for our planning purposes. Programs are planned in Hanoi, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Philadelphia, Santiago, Prague and Paris. Other locations under discussion are San Francisco, London, Bermuda, Oman, Korea, and Lisbon.
Others throughout the world may be added as GIC partnerships and sponsors are engaged. Speaker presentations and roundtable discussions will focus on the following themes:

World Capital Flows:
Is financial capital able to flow easily into and out of all of the world’s economies? What steps can be taken by the Financial Market Agents to encourage the free movement of capital into underdeveloped economies so that they may also have the opportunity to develop and prosper?

Central Bank Independence:
How are Central Banks influenced by their government’s policies? Do the world’s central banks have the capacity to truly act independently?
How effective are the world’s Central Banks? How effective is the policy coordination amongst the world’s central banks, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other institutions?

Reserve Currency Status:
Can the US Dollar to retain its status as the world’s reserve currency? Should alternative currencies be considered as the reserve currency? Should reserves be tied to physical assets such as commodities? What other assets (in addition to commodities) may be utilized as alternatives to paper assets as a reserve holding?

Fiscal Policy Changes:
What are the priorities of a country in terms of services to be provided by its Government? What consideration is given to the taxation necessary to match those priorities? What is the priority given to fiscal balance – do (and should) the taxes raised match the committed expenditure for desired services? What is the impact of fiscal policy (tax rate levels / marginal tax rates / Tax to GDP ratio, etc.) as it relates capital formation, risk taking and economic incentives?

Capital Market Structure:
What are the unintended consequences of investor/saver safeguards within the capital markets? How do these safeguards create investor/saver complacency with respect to due diligence? What is the impact of these safeguards on the overall market? As intermediaries, are financial firms more closely aligned with investors/savers or capital users? How can capital market policies be coordinated on a global basis when cultural differences exist with respect to the appropriate role of the capital markets? How effective is financial self regulation? What is the responsibility of financial services firms to promote ethical behavior and activity?

GIC’s role will be to convene the conference and provide a neutral and independent forum for conversations regarding contentious issues of market supervision, the future of financial product innovation, and the role of central banks and governments. GIC advocates for stable capital markets; hence, GIC strives for continuing global growth of economies and improvement of living standards. For more information, or to become a partner or sponsor, please contact GIC Executive Director Erin Hartshorn at ehartshorn@interdependence.org or call 215-898-9453.

2010 Conference Sponsors and Partners

Capital Markets

Partners

Hanoi, Vietnam – November 13-16, 2009. GIC partnered with Vietnam Television for 5 days of meetings and touring in Hanoi. The theme of these meetings focused on Vietnam as a Case Study of Post-Crisis Capital Market Challenges to an Emerging Economy. Meetings were held with representatives from the State Securities Commission of Vietnam, Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Television Network, Hanoi Stock Exchange, State Bank of Vietnam and Hanoi Institute of Banking.

Shanghai & Hong Kong, China - January 10-15, 2010. The second of this four-part global conference series will center around the theme, “One Country, Two Systems: Impacts after the Financial Crisis, a dialogue in China’s Emerging and Mature Financial Centers and Markets.” The conference series will include a full day program coordinated in partnership with Fudan University in Shanghai followed by a second conference in Hong Kong. Jim Bullard, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, is among the many speakers who will be joining the GIC Delegation. Click here for more information

Philadelphia, USA - March 3, 2010 This half day conference, to be held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, will continue to explore the rebuilding of capital markets in the post-financial crisis environment. The program will also involve a follow up on the perspective and knowledge gained from our exchange in China. Confirmed speakers include Larry Kantor, Head of Global Research, Barclays Capital, Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Economy.com, Vince Farrell, Chief Investment Officer, Soleil Securities, John D. Rogers, President & Chief Executive Officer, CFA Institute, Frank Hatheway, Senior Vice President, NASDAQ OMX, John Staley of Staley Capital Advisers, Inc and a keynote speech by Eric Rosengren, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Click here to register.

Santiago, Chile – March 25-30, 2010. We will welcome Jeff Lacker, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as a speaker a delegate as we return to Chile this spring. GIC has an exciting agenda planned including a coastal wine tour in between the concluding conference of our food and water series (partner and venue TBA) and the meeting on capital market interdependencies at the Central Bank of Chile featuring Jose De Gregorio, Governor of the Central Bank of Chile. Registration is now open.

Prague, Czech Republic & Paris, France – June 14-18, 2010: Join GIC as we continue our 2010 Global Conference Series in Europe! Governor Zdenek Tuma of Czech National Bank will host the GIC Delegates for the first of the two of the European meetings on June 15th. Delegates will travel to France on June 16th for our return to the Banque de France for the second meeting, which will feature Governor Christian Noyer as a speaker on June 17th. GIC’s Trademark Roundtable Discussions as well optional touring packages will be scheduled in both cities. Registration coming soon!


Past Trips:

Shanghai & Hong Kong, China, January 10-12, 2010

Singapore, November 12 2009

Zambia, May 27-28 2009

Paris, March 24-26 2009

Israel, November 3-4 2008

Tallinn, Estonia August 21 2008

Paris, France May 11-14 2008

Cape Town, South Africa March 27-28 2008

Ireland, June 10-12 2007

Santiago, Chile: Strategic Partners in Business & Trade March 2-5 2007