Lahore School of Economics And University of Oxford On Microfinance Products and Processes: Lessons from the Field
April 14, 2017
The second International Conference, jointly organized by Lahore School of Economics and University of Oxford, was held at Main Burki Campus of Lahore School of Economics on 13th of April 2017. The theme of the Conference was “Microfinance Products and Processes: Lessons from the Field”.The one-day event was devoted to discussions on the cutting-edge research in the microfinance sector. The conference brought together speakers from microfinance institutions, researchers and other stakeholders from Pakistan and outside of Pakistan to discuss main findings of the rigorous research of microfinance products and the key lessons of this research on the socio-economic welfare of Pakistan.
The conference started with the welcome remarks by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry (Rector, Lahore School of Economics). He mentioned that the issues the Conference aims to address are very important and must be explored in detail. He commented that the global economic landscape is witnessing tectonic shifts in major economic powers of the world including the United States and European Union that already hints that the traditional models of running the world as well as financial systems are no longer valid. In particular, innovative strategies to boost growth in microfinance are very important for the well being of people in the country. He stressed the importance of active contributions by both academicians and policy makers to provide fresh and innovative perspectives on microfinance products and processes.
Read more »Labels: Annual Conference, CREB, Lahore School, Microfinance, Oxford University, Research
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/14/2017 11:44:00 AM,
Lahore School of Economics and University of Oxford Second International Conference
April 12, 2017
Microfinance Products and Processes: Lessons from the field
13th April 2017
About 40 percent of the South Asian population living on less than $1.25 per day and 74 percent subsisting on less that $2 a day. This suggests that a large proportion of the population in South Asia is particularly ‘vulnerable’ to external shocks. Research shows a strong positive relationship between financial inclusion and poverty reduction. However, Only 13% of the adults in Pakistan have access to a formal account, which is much lower than 31% in Bangladesh, 53% in India and 83% in Sri Lanka. Recent empirical results on microlending show that the standard microcredit model, with high interest rates and immediate repayment, seems unable to generate enterprise growth (Karlan and Zinman, 2011). In contrast, a growing body of empirical evidence suggests that savings products can be valuable for generating income and for reducing poverty (Burgess and Pande, 2005; Brune, et al., 2014).
Read more »Labels: Annual Conference, CREB, Lahore School, Microfinance, Oxford University, Research
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/12/2017 09:30:00 AM,
Lahore School, Oxford Conference on Microfinance and Enterprise Development
April 20, 2015
The Lahore School of Economics in partnership with Oxford University hosted a conference on Microfinance and Enterprise Development. The objective of the conference was to bring together speakers from microfinance institutions, donors, academics and practitioners from Pakistan and outside of Pakistan. During this one-day event there was a detailed discussion on current and future research on microfinance with the purpose to start a conversation on the roles research can play in the future to help the sector achieve its goals of poverty alleviation, financial inclusion and sustainable enterprise growth. The conference was conducted as part of an on-going project on a comparison of Demand for Microcredit and Microsaving in a Framed Field Experiment in Rural Pakistan, which is funded by Economic and Social Research Council-Department of International Development (ESRC-DFID).
The conference started with welcoming remarks by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry (Rector, Lahore School of Economics). The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Rashid Bajwa who showed that the microfinance sector in Pakistan has witnessed a tremendous growth – from 164 thousand borrowers in 2003 to 3.3 million borrowers in 2015. At present, there are 50 microfinance providers operating in the country. Moreover, the sector continues to attract foreign investment.
Read more »Labels: Lahore School, Microfinance, Oxford University
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/20/2015 09:50:00 AM,
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