The 7th Asia Conference on Business and Economics Studies (ACBES 2025): Innovations and Achievements
29 Aug, 2025
On August 14–15, 2025, the 7th Asia Conference on Business and Economics Studies – ACBES 2025, part of the annual conference series organized by the Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies (JABES) – University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), with more than 350 scholars from 45 countries in attendance, concluded successfully.
Key figures of ACBES 2025
ACBES 2025 was honored to receive the patronage of five prestigious international journals, including Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies (SCOPUS Q1, ABDC, ESCI, ERIM), International Finance (SCOPUS Q2, ABDC, SSCI), Evaluation Review (SCOPUS Q1, ABDC, SSCI), Journal of Economics and Development (SCOPUS Q1), Management System Engineering; and, notably, academic sponsorship and financial support from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, UEH, University of York (United Kingdom), and UEH Honours College (UEH.ISB).
ACBES 2025 featured six leading scientists delivering keynote presentations on contemporary research topics and providing integrative overviews of academic development directions. These scientists came from major universities around the world, including Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), National University of Singapore (Singapore), Monash University (Australia), Lingnan University (Hong Kong), and Massey University (New Zealand), with five keynote speakers participating in person over both conference days and one keynote speaker presenting online.
ACBES 2025 attracted 419 submissions, of which 220 papers were accepted for presentation after blind review, with international scholars accounting for 50% of accepted papers. More than 350 attendees from 45 different countries joined ACBES 2025, with an equal share of international and domestic scholars (50% – 50%), and across two days the accepted papers were organized into 46 on-site sessions, 3 online sessions, and a poster presentation format. In addition, ACBES 2025 received support from many scholars in Viet Nam and abroad who served as blind reviewers, moderators for keynote discussions, and session chairs of the parallel sessions.
Day 1: Three keynote sessions for doctoral researchers, the Publication Opportunity event, the JABES Editorial Board Meeting, and 11 Parallel Sessions
Prof. Jo Bensemann on “From Ideas to Influence: The Power of Impactful Research”
Prof. Jo Bensemann is Dean of the School of Management and Marketing, Massey University (New Zealand), with research focusing on innovation, governance in small businesses, and entrepreneurship. In her address, Prof. Jo Bensemann emphasized that research ideas must be relevant and deliver value to society, helping participants better understand the meaning and purpose of conducting research in modern society with a mission to develop young scholars academically while contributing to business practice and the community.
Prof. Jo Bensemann provides research idea orientation for early‑career researchers
Prof. Lui Hon‑Kwong on “Unlocking Academic Success: Strategies for Identifying Publishable Research Topics and Crafting Effective Literature Reviews”
Prof. Lui Hon‑Kwong is Professor in the Department of Marketing and International Business at Lingnan University (Hong Kong), with major research areas in labor economics and applied marketing research and an extensive international publication record. In his talk, Prof. Lui Hon‑Kwong focused on research thinking and selecting topics aligned with the interests of international journals, while offering guidance on finalizing manuscripts for submission, responding to reviewers, and adopting multi‑perspective reasoning to address early‑career researchers’ concerns stemming from diverse reviewer feedback.
Prof. Lui Hon‑Kwong shares experience handling manuscripts before and after submission to leading international scientific journals
Assoc. Prof. Harvey Nguyen on “Recent Trends in Sustainable Finance: Insights and Opportunities for PhD Scholars”
Assoc. Prof. Harvey Nguyen from the School of Accountancy and Finance, Massey University (New Zealand), specializes in sustainable finance, behavioral finance, and studies of market capitalization. His recent publications mainly cover climate change, fund management, and social responsibility, and at ACBES 2025 he delivered valuable insights into emerging research directions while underscoring the importance of exploring sustainability‑oriented topics that foster a climate‑friendly financial system.
Assoc. Prof. Harvey Nguyen presents sustainability‑driven research ideas for the community, society, and the environment
Publication Opportunity
On ACBES 2025’s opening day, the Publication Opportunity was specially organized by JABES for the 40 strongest and most promising papers at this year’s conference. The Publication Opportunity introduced JABES’s vision and strategy to help researchers understand the journal’s goals in publishing work with high practical relevance and academic value, thereby increasing publication prospects in reputable international outlets.
Publication Opportunity aims to publish quality studies from ACBES 2025 submissions and other renowned international journals
JABES‑E Editorial Board Meeting
Within the ACBES 2025 framework, the JABES Editorial Board held its annual meeting with 12 Associate Editors participating in a hybrid format. Discussion focused on measures to maintain and elevate academic standing, reaffirm leadership in economics and business, and attract an increasing number of high‑quality submissions from leading global scholars to JABES.
JABES and the editorial board work on future orientations
The first day concluded with the opening round of in‑person parallel sessions across 11 topics, alongside 3 online parallel tracks to accommodate authors unable to attend physically for objective reasons. Reports in the opening sessions brought diverse, creative, and highly applicable research ideas, reflecting new academic trends in economics and business.
Parallel Sessions
Day 2: ACBES 2025 Opening Ceremony, three further keynote sessions, and the Gala Dinner
ACBES 2025 Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony took place solemnly with the participation of UEH leadership, six keynote speakers, invited guests, and all attendees.
Speaking at the ACBES 2025 opening, Prof. Su Dinh Thanh – President of UEH University – recognized the success of the annual ACBES international scientific conference series and expressed the hope that ACBES 2025 would build on its academic reputation to remain a forum connecting domestic and international scholars, thereby contributing to UEH’s academic standing in general and to JABES in particular.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoai – Chair of the ACBES 2025 Organizing Committee – reviewed the notable contributions of JABES and ACBES in recent years, especially ACBES 2025’s data on author diversity, country diversity, and the balanced 50–50 participation rate of Viet Nam and other countries, while extending thanks to the organizations and individuals whose academic and financial contributions enabled ACBES 2025’s success.
UEH leadership representatives, keynote speakers, and distinguished guests
Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoai, ACBES 2025 Chairman of the Organizing Committee, expresses gratitude to participating speakers
Prof. Jessica Pan on “The Evolution of Gender in the Labor Market”
Prof. Jessica Pan (Dean of Graduate Studies – National University of Singapore; former Co‑Editor of the Journal of Public Economics) presented an in‑depth study on gender in the labor force. The talk offered a comprehensive view of progress in narrowing today’s gender gaps in labor through theoretical analyses of individual preferences, structural barriers within families, and social norms affecting women’s participation and career development. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Pham Khanh Nam – Rector of the UEH College of Economics, Law and Government (CELG) – the presentation and lively Q&A examined differences between male and female labor, especially amid ongoing transformations in labor markets, drawing strong interest from attendees.
Prof. Jessica Pan presents on gender issues in labor across Asian and global economies
Prof. Fang Lee Cooke on “Towards a Human‑Centred Approach to Increasing Workplace Productivity: Challenges and Emerging Good Practices from Asia”
Continuing the program under the moderation of Prof. Yudi Azis (Padjadjaran University, Indonesia), Prof. Fang Lee Cooke (Professor at Monash University – Australia, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Co‑Editor‑in‑Chief of Human Resource Management) delivered an online presentation on harnessing the potential of the older workforce. The talk underscored the importance of optimizing productivity while ensuring welfare, equity, and sustainability, particularly as population aging presents major challenges for many economies in the region. Despite being online, Prof. Fang Lee Cooke’s presentation drew strong interest, with a thoughtful Q&A on human resource management practices in Asia.
Prof. Fang Lee Cooke presents on optimizing the older workforce via an online format
Prof. Arjun Singh Bedi on “Bare Branches and Drifting Kites, Revisited: Tackling Sex‑Selective Abortion (Female Feticide)”
The final keynote was delivered by Prof. Arjun Singh Bedi – Professor of Development Economics at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands) – moderated by Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoai, Editor‑in‑Chief of JABES. Prof. Bedi addressed a sensitive yet crucial topic for sustainable development: son preference and sex‑selective practices at birth in countries such as India, China, and Viet Nam, drawing on demographic data and ethical‑social dimensions. The analysis opened discussion of potential policy responses to gender imbalances and their long‑term consequences for labor markets and social structures, prompting deep engagement on future labor forces, sustainability in socio‑economic development, and feasible policy interventions in developing Asian countries.
Prof. Arjun Singh Bedi presents cultural and social aspects of gender preference in developing countries
Three subsequent parallel keynote sessions covering 35 topics in diverse fields of economics, business, and finance took place on the second day. Topics were grouped by research area, with clear allocation of discussing and presenting roles and close coordination between session chairs and moderators, enabling authors to receive lively, constructive feedback to refine manuscripts and enhance publication prospects in reputable journals.
Parallel Sessions
Poster presentations – A new feature of ACBES 2025
A new feature this year was the poster presentation format, which brought research ideas beyond traditional presentations. Posters enabled authors to showcase findings visually to attendees, with 23 posters displayed across the two conference days. Scientific ideas were conveyed dynamically and discussed continuously, creating an energetic atmosphere and helping authors further refine their results.
Authors and attendees engage in the poster presentation format
Closing ACBES 2025: Networking, Best Papers announcement, and the ACBES 2026 announcement
The ACBES 2025 Gala Dinner created opportunities to connect and delve deeper into research ideas among scholars. ACBES 2025 Chair, Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoai, announced three Best Paper awards, including two awards from ACBES 2025 and one from the University of York:
1. Travel‑related Reality Programs as a Tool to Arouse Tourists’ Travel Inspiration: A Case Study in Vietnam – Authors: Phuong Minh Binh Nguyen & Giang Nu To Truong.
2. Comovements and Spillovers across Economic Policy Uncertainty Indices in Different Time Horizons – Authors: Walid Mensi, Farzaneh Ahmadian-Yazdi & Sang Hoon Kang.
3. Can Chat GPT Predict Future Interest Rate Decisions? – Authors: Drew Woodhouse & Alex Charlesworth.
Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoai, representing the Organizing Committee, congratulates the authors receiving Best Paper awards
Dr. Duong Tuan Kiet, representing the University of York (United Kingdom), congratulates the author receiving a Best Paper award
At the conclusion of the Gala Dinner, Dr. Huynh Luu Duc Toan – on behalf of the ACBES Organizing Committee – announced that ACBES 2026 will be held in August 2026. To date, ACBES 2026 has the honor of confirmed participation from three distinguished speakers: Prof. Hans Lööf (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden), Prof. Karen Macours (Paris School of Economics, France; Editor‑in‑Chief of the Journal of Development Economics), and Assoc. Prof. Alminas Zaldokas (National University of Singapore, Singapore; Co‑Editor of the Journal of Corporate Finance). ACBES 2026 promises to continue as a reputable, high‑quality international conference.
Some photos from ACBES 2025.
News and photos: JABES Journal, UEH Department of Communications and Partnerships
