Social Entrepreneurship & Innovative Finance for Rural-Urban Transformation

Globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, and as the world continues to urbanize, sustainable development becomes challenging during the rural-urban transformation. To avoid and/or mitigate severe social problems relating with such a social change such as exclusion, environmental pressures, food safety and malnutrition, poor access to health care and education, new approaches to development finance must be developed. The 'blended value' of these innovations requires a smart model of finance for innovative public and private partnerships and a participatory governance.

The conference "Social Entrepreneurship: Innovative Finance for Rural-Urban Transformation" (E&T Annual 2018) to is to advance the frontier knowledge of both concept and practices.

The conference invites a mixed group of champions from different fields, including active entrepreneurs, institutional investors, venture capital and advisors, development agencies and academics. The creation and communication of knowledge will be facilitated in multiple formats, including presentations, panel discussions and field visit. As an annual event, E&T Annual is going to be organized at a different city beginning 2018 in China.