Frontier research in accounting and finance plays a vital role in developing new knowledge and guiding practice. Amid unprecedented technology transformation and a growing global focus on sustainability, this special issue dedicates to the growing need to understand innovation, sustainable development and their intersections with traditional accounting and finance research.

TOPICS: This special issue offers a forum for evidence-based discussions on the following topics:
– Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics;
– Climate finance and biodiversity finance;
– Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML);
– Big and unstructured data (e.g., voice and facial recognition) in accounting and finance;
– FinTech (e.g., Blockchain and Bitcoin); and
– Other contemporary accounting and finance issues.

The China Accounting and Finance Review (CAFR) Special Issue Conference 2025, jointly organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, will be held at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in Kunming on 29 November 2025. International presenters and discussants may be entitled to two nights’ accommodation and a maximum of USD 3,900 for reimbursing airfare and travel expenses. Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong presenters may also be entitled to reimbursement. We particularly encourage submission of theoretical and empirical papers that contribute to the above cutting-edge topics in accounting and finance. We also welcome papers on other contemporary accounting and finance issues. Accepted papers will be published in CAFR (subject to satisfactory revision).

CONFERENCE DETAILS:
– Date: 29 November 2025 (Saturday)
– Location: Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, Kunming, China
– Theme: Frontier Research in Accounting and Finance
– Keynote Speaker: Professor Yan Liu (Chair Professor and Executive Dean, Institute of Innovation Management at Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School; Chair Professor, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University)

PAPER SUBMISSION: Please send a complete English version of your submission in Microsoft Word format, including separate files for the title page and for the blinded manuscript, by 2 August 2025 via the online Submission System (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cafr). Please select “Frontier Research in Accounting and Finance” at Step 6: Details & Comments.

Authors will be notified of their acceptance by 4 October 2025.

There is no paper submission fee for the CAFR Special Issue Conference. Each paper will be peer-reviewed according to the policies of CAFR and the journal publisher Emerald.

KEY DATES:
– Submission Deadline: 2 August 2025
– Notification of Acceptance: 4 October 2025

GUEST EDITORS:
– Prof. Nan Yang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
– Prof. Wei Zhou, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics

CONFERENCE ORGANISING COMMITTEE:
– Prof. Nancy Su, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
– Prof. Qiang Wu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
– Prof. Wei Zhou, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics
– Prof. Yunxian Li, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics

ORGANISERS:
– School of Accounting and Finance, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
– School of Finance, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics

ENQUIRIES: For enquiries, please contact the CAFR Editorial Office by email at af.cafr@polyu.edu.hk

ABOUT CHINA ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE REVIEW (CAFR): China Accounting and Finance Review (CAFR) is a leading double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1999 by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in collaboration with Tsinghua University. It is dedicated to promoting empirical and theoretical research and studies on significant accounting and finance issues, and serving as a platform for financial economists from China and around the world to share their views and investigations on a wide range of contemporary and cutting-edge issues relating to both the Chinese and international financial markets. CAFR welcomes submissions of original and high-quality research papers and literature reviews that address any topics relating to accounting and finance globally. Additionally, it also strongly encourages cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that bridges accounting and finance with other related fields. It aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolving landscape of accounting and finance in both Chinese and international contexts. For more information about CAFR, please refer to the Journal’s website: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/cafr