Description

The Centre for Asian Legal Studies (CALS) and the EW Barker Centre for Law & Business (EWBCLB) at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore and INSOL International are pleased to co-organise the inaugural Restructuring & Insolvency Academic Forum (RIAF) 2025. The forum will be held in-person on 6-7 November 2025 in Singapore, at the National University of Singapore.

The inaugural RIAF aims to provide a forum for scholars and emerging scholars to present their research to their peers, experienced scholars, and like-minded professionals.  The RIAF aspires to promote research in the fields of corporate restructuring, turnaround, and insolvency from a uniquely Asian lens, preferably with special attention on the Southeast Asian region.

CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite submissions for papers in the following areas with a focus on Asia:

• Corporate insolvency and restructuring of business enterprises, including, but not limited to the following:
  • Use of technology to process large numbers of consumer and MSE insolvencies cost effectively;
  • Fairness of deferring the claims of related parties for voting and dividend purposes;
  • Effective ways of encouraging directors to timeously commence restructuring;
  • Cooperation and coordination of judicial authorities, governmental authorities and legal practitioners in Asia;
  • Development and reforms in emerging markets and developing economies; and
  • Non-fiscal impact (particularly relating to social, environmental, and political impact) of restructuring and insolvency.

Research on the aforementioned topics through a comparative lens is highly recommended. We will also consider contribution on other allied topics.

For submission guidelines, click here.

DEADLINES
The deadline for submission of abstracts is 2359H (GMT +8) on Wednesday, 30 April 2025.  Participants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 31 May 2025.

Successful participants will be expected to submit their draft conference papers of not more than 5,000 words by 2359H (GMT +8) on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Attendance to the conference is free for those presenting papers. However, accommodation and travel expenses will be borne by the participants. INSOL International will offer a limited number of travel grants on a competitive basis of US$500 to emerging scholars from Asian Development Bank (ADB) C1 – C3 countries2 and US$1000 to emerging scholars from ADB CA countries. Instructions on grant applications will be issued to qualifying participants after the qualifying round. If funding from other sources becomes available, successful participants will be advised.

PUBLICATION AND PRESENTATION OPPORTUNTIES
The Organising Committee is currently in talks with journals over the possibility of publishing conference papers as part of a special volume. More details on this will be released in mid-2025. The presenter selected for “Best Presentation” by a panel of esteemed experts may be invited to present at an INSOL ERA Annual Workshop.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Associate Professor Jaclyn Neo
Mr Toh Ding Jun
Centre for Asian Legal Studies
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore

Associate Professor Wee Meng Seng
EW Barker Centre for Law & Business
Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore

Ms Clare Wee
Regional Head, Asia
INSOL International (Asia) Ltd.
INSOL International