KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Prof. Francesca Spigarelli, Professor of Economics, University of Macerata, Editorial Board of the L’Industria, Italy

Francesca Spigarelli is a Professor of Applied Economics at the Department of Law at the University of Macerata. Her main research areas focus on the application of economics to the study of sectoral dynamics and industrial policies, with particular attention to renewable energy, health, and new technologies. She has gained extensive experience in studying the economy and development dynamics of China. Since 2013, she has been the Director of the China Center at the University of Macerata, a multidisciplinary hub for research and education that aims to foster debate, knowledge, and the study of China within the global economic and geopolitical context. The center is completely autonomous and is funded through European Union projects. In fact, Francesca Spigarelli has acquired significant experience in European project development, coordinating numerous projects and participating in international consortia with a strong focus on innovation. She is the Italian representative, appointed by the Ministry of Research and University, to the Strategic Programme Committee of the European Commission – Subgroup on Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area, within Horizon Europe (since 2020). For ten years, she served as the university delegate for third mission policies, research, and European project development. She is responsible for collaboration agreements with universities in the USA, China, India, and Europe. In 2022, she ran for the position of rector. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Italian Society of Industrial Economics and Policy (SIEPI), where she served as Secretary General from 2019 to 2022.

Professor Khaled Hussainey, Professor of Accounting, Bangor Business School, Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, United Kingdom

Khaled Hussainey was appointed as a Professor in Accounting at Bangor Business School in April 2024. Formerly, he held positions at Portsmouth University, Plymouth University, Stirling University, Manchester University, and Ain Shams University. He has more than twenty-five years of teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has a growing research reputation in the field of accounting and finance. His research interests focus on corporate narrative reporting. He has been featured in the list of “World Ranking of Top 2% Researchers” database created by experts at Stanford University (USA). He has published more than 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has written a number of book chapters and edited several books. His articles have appeared in such journals as Accounting and Business Research, British Accounting Review, Business Strategy and the Environment, European Financial Management, International Journal of Finance and Economics, International Review of Financial Analysis, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Accounting Literature, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, and Technological Forecasting & Social Change. He has received external research grants from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); British Academy; Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF), Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and Abu Dhabi University. He is Co-Editor of Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting and Editor of International Journal of Emerging Markets. He is Associate Editor of International Journal of Finance and Economics, Journal of Applied Accounting Research, International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation and Review of Accounting and Finance.