Economics and Finance Readings: Asia-Pacific Conference on Economics and Finance, 2023

This book is a compilation of the best papers presented at the 2023 edition of the Asia-Pacific Conference on Economics & Finance (APEF), which is held annually in Singapore. It presents the latest research findings in economics and finance and discusses relevant issues in today's world. The book is a useful resource for readers who want access to economics, finance and business research that focusing on the Asia-Pacific region.

Evan Lau, currently serving as Deputy Dean of Research and Commercialization at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), is a distinguished academic with a rich background in economics, finance, and business. Throughout his career at UNIMAS, he has held various pivotal roles including Deputy Dean for Research and Postgraduate, Director of the Centre for Business, Economics and Finance Forecasting (BEFfore), and Head of Strategy. Internationally recognized for his scholarly work, Evan has held visiting positions at prestigious institutions such as the University of Cambridge and several universities in Indonesia. Notably, he was twice selected for the World Class Professor (WCP) program by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia (2020 and 2021) and appointed as a Visiting Research Fellow for the Central Bank of Malaysia in May 2021. Evan's research prowess is evidenced by his extensive publication record, which includes 108 journal articles and 91 research papers across various mediums. He has received numerous accolades for his research excellence, including the Young Researcher Award at UNIMAS, research medals from Research Expos, and the Highest-Impact Journal Paper Award. As an active researcher, Evan has secured 35 research grants and has supervised a significant number of postgraduate and undergraduate research projects. His contributions to academia extend beyond UNIMAS, with his participation as a speaker at international conferences in several countries including Indonesia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Italy, India, Philippines, China, and Malaysia. Evan's impact on the field of economics is recognized internationally, with his inclusion among the Top 9% of economists in Malaysia and ASEAN, as well as the Top 10% in Asia by the Research Papers in Economics (RePEc) network. Additionally, he is among the highly cited authors at UNIMAS. Outside of academia, Evan maintains a passion for running and travelling. His multifaceted achievements and dedication to research excellence and academic leadership underscore his significant contributions to the field, bringing sustainable impact to academia and beyond.

Widya Paramita is an Assistant Professor and is currently the Head of Publication Unit in Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Gadjah Mada. Publication Unit manages two international journals: Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business (Scopus-indexed) and Journal of Leadership in Organizations. Simultaneously, she has been serving as the Editor-in-chief of Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business. She has approximately 30 pieces of publications related to consumer behavior, social marketing, ethical decision making, organizational leadership, and entrepreneurship in reputable journals such as Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Marketing Letters, International Journal of Advertising, Australasian Marketing Journal amongst others. Simultaneously, she has been an ad-hoc reviewer for several journals such as Global Journal of Fashion Marketing, Australasian Marketing Journal, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Due to her involvement in research, she received the best publication award in social science from Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Kai-Hong Tee is currently Senior Lecturer in Finance at Loughborough University School of Business and Economics in the United Kingdom. He has worked previously as a Lecturer in Finance at the University of Aberdeen and as a Property Investment Marketing Consultant on both residential and commercial sectors in the international properties markets based in Singapore. His research interests include the application of asymmetric risk measures on portfolio optimization, the study of liquidity risks, and efficient performance of managed futures and hedge funds. Dr Tee's research has been published in reputable Journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Empirical Finance, Quantitative Finance and European Financial Management. He has a BA in Economics and Mathematics from the National University of Singapore, an MBA (with distinction) in finance from the Leeds University Business School, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Mr. Lee Ming, Tan is the founder of East Asia Research and he obtained his Master of Applied Finance from the University of Adelaide. He is deeply interested in how humans function and react with each other. An insight into how people's minds think and how they work together is invaluable in just about every field. Outside of work, Anthony Tan enjoys outdoor activities and occasional computer games.