CALL FOR PAPERS: Cross-Border Payments in Historical Perspective | GloCoBank Project Conference | 27-28 March 2025 (Oxford) | Deadline: 29 Nov 2024

CALL FOR PAPERS

International Conference on Cross-Border Payments in Historical Perspective

27-28 March 2025 | St Hilda’s College | University of Oxford

Deadline for proposals: Friday 29^th November 2024

International commerce has always relied on the ability to transfer funds across space and time but the evolution of the mechanics and strategies of cross-border payments remains somewhat murky. The main route for global payments in modern times has been through inter-bank relationships through which bank customers order and settle payments across borders. This framework of correspondent banking has survived the move in technology from paper to telegraph to electronic payments systems and persists into the digital era. Since 2008 the extent of the correspondent banking network has shrunk due to a variety of factors including costs of Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering/Anti-Finance of Terrorism regulations. This changing pattern has prompted recent research on the dynamics of the global correspondent banking network at the Financial Stability Board and the Bank for International Settlements, but to date the historical research on this critical infrastructure is limited.

This conference seeks to bring together research on cross-border payments systems in a range of historical contexts. All related issues are welcome; topics might include:

• Case studies of cross-border payments focused on specific countries or institutions or periods
• Development of the architecture of global payments: SWIFT, CLS, regional payments
• Inclusion and exclusion of some countries or actors in the global payments system over time
• Regulatory and supervisory issues related to payments and settlement
• Technological change and global payments
• Global payments and war, crisis or political friction
• The payments system and financial sanctions in historical perspective

Conference publication: We expect to publish a selection of papers from the conference in an edited collection.

Submission details: Proposed titles and paper abstracts of c. 800 words, along with a short CV, should be submitted to glocobank@history.ox.ac.uk by Friday 29th November 2024. Participants will be notified in mid-December if their proposal has been accepted.

Other information: The conference will be held at St Hilda’s College, Oxford on 27-28 March 2025. Where participants are unable to fund their own expenses, some funds may be available to support the cost of travel and accommodation

Conference organiser/enquiries: Professor Catherine R. Schenk | GloCoBank Project catherine.schenk@history.ox.ac.uk

About GloCoBank: ‘Global Correspondent Banking 1870–2000’ (GloCoBank) is a 5-year research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) which seeks to identify and analyse the international network of correspondent banking relationships across the 20th century. For further information visit the project website.