What We Do

The Centre for Global Finance (CGF) is located in the School of Finance and Management, SOAS University of London. 

Endowed by AXA Research Fund (AXARF), we believe in scientific discoveries that play a critical role in generating policy and enhancing practice for the transformation of society and the improvement of lives. 

Through a diverse portfolio of impactful projects, we undertake rigorous empirical research that aims to significantly enhance the knowledge, policy, and practice in the areas of financial economics, financial markets, financial inclusion, corporate finance, and sustainable growth.  By collaborating with global partners, we also actively participate in major international development projects, focusing on critical areas such as Fintech, the strengthening of research and innovation ecosystems in Africa, and financial systems in developing countries. 

Our research and development projects have been supported by highly competitive grants from various traditional and non-traditional funding agencies, including:

  • AXA Research Fund

  • Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

  • National Natural Science Foundation of China

  • Indian Council of Social Science Research

Our ongoing research activities are dedicated to exploring and addressing key challenges and emerging opportunities in:

  • China’s economic interactions with the rest of the world

  • China's infrastructure investment in Africa post-COVID-19

  • African industrialisation

  • Inclusive financial development and economic growth in Africa and Asia

  • The impact of Fintech on global financial markets

  • Mega trends in global finance

  • Strengthening research and innovation ecosystems in Africa

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We bring together world-leading scholars, practitioners, and policy makers through various events, throughout the year. The idea is to facilitate the generation of new findings as well as the dissemination of knowledge and experiences in relation to the global financial system and the world economy.

At the same time, we enable researchers to engage with policymakers, private sector practitioners, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to identify emerging issues and to feed the public debate on existing and emerging issues.

Global Network

We believe that impactful research thrives on strong partnerships. CGF members are working with a global network of distinguished researchers and experts from leading universities and international institutions, including:

ODI Global, UK

Kings College London, UK

Imperial College London, UK

Queen Mary University of London, UK

Loughborough University, UK

University of Leicester, UK

University of Nottingham, UK

Sheffield University Management School, UK

University of Sussex, UK

University of East Anglia, UK

University of Aberdeen, UK

Bangor University, UK

Université Catholique de Lille, France

Paris-East Créteil University, France

Aix-Marseille University, France

University of Ghana Business School, Ghana

University of Groningen, Netherlands

Université Laval, Québec, Canada

University of Maryland, U.S.A

State University of New York, U.S.A

New York University, U.S.A

International Monetary Fund, U.S.A

University of Massachusetts at Amherst, U.S.A

Carleton University, U.S.A

Princeton University, U.S.A

Brandeis University, U.S.A

University of Nairobi, Kenya

Stellenbosch University, South Africa

University of Makerere, Uganda

Uganda Development Bank, Uganda

Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Côte d’Ivoire

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Kenya

African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), Kenya

Bank of Zambia, Zambia

Reserve Bank of Malawi, Malawi

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

Guangxi University, China

Curtin University, Australia