Vusal Gasimli, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, chaired the "Finance and Growth" session at "The International Finance and Banking Society" (IFABS2026) international event, held at the University of London, UK, with the support of the Bank of England. He also presented a scientific report titled "Reassessing the Forward-Looking Taylor Rule: Insights from the Turkish Economy (2002–2021)". The report analyzed the application of the forward-looking "Taylor rule" using the example of the Turkish economy from 2002 to 2021, presenting scientific conclusions regarding the effectiveness of monetary policy.

In the "Finance and Growth" session chaired by Professor Vusal Gasimli, research devoted to financial development and trade, the impact of external financial risks on economic growth, the role of firm-level data assets in economic development, as well as current issues of monetary policy were discussed. During the session, Pierluigi Murro from LUISS University in Italy, Judit Temesvary from the US Federal Reserve System, and Ke Bi and Leonidas Barbopoulos from the University of Edinburgh, UK, presented their research dedicated to current issues in modern finance and economics.

The main topics of the conference covered sustainable economic growth, financial technologies (fintech), innovation and regulation in the financial sector, productivity enhancement, as well as priority directions of financial policy in the context of global economic transformation. Keynote speakers and panelists included David Bailey from the Bank of England, Nicola Cetorelli from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Xavier Vives from the European Central Bank.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Barbara Casu, Deputy Dean at Bayes Business School of City, St George's, University of London; David Stallibrass, Deputy Chief Economist at the Financial Conduct Authority; Eddie Gerba from the London School of Economics; and Meryem Duygun, Professor at the University of Nottingham and President of IFABS, delivered speeches emphasizing the resilience of the financial system, international scientific cooperation, and the importance of innovative research.

The "IFABS 2026" London conference brought together leading representatives of the global academic and financial communities. Nearly 240 scholars, central bank representatives, experts from international organizations, and researchers representing 45 countries across all continents attended the event. The conference program included more than 200 scientific reports across various fields, 3 keynote addresses, and 2 policy panels moderated by policymakers.

"The International Finance and Banking Society" (IFABS) was established in the United Kingdom in 2008 and is currently one of the prestigious international finance and banking societies, bringing together over 6,500 members from more than 67 countries. Selected scientific articles presented within the framework of the conference are planned to be published in a special issue of the "Journal of Financial Services Research" (JFSR).