UNIMALNEWS | Lhokseumawe - Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Malikussaleh held international conference with theme "Embracing a New Era: Digital Transformation in Sustainable Economics, Management and Finance". 

The international conference entitled International Conference on Finance, Economics, and Business (ICOFEB) organized by organizing comittee of FEB Unimal. The event, which was conducted in a hybrid format and held over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, (November 21-22, 2023), at the Cut Mutia Hall, Bukit Indah Campus, Lhokseumawe City.

In her report, conference chair Dr. Darmawati said the committee had received some 85 paper manuscripts from around the world in the fields of management, finance, economics, accounting and Islamic finance.

"The standard and volume of the submissions highlight the importance of the topics to be addressed at this conference," Darmawati said at the event's opening session on Tuesday (21/11/2023).

She added that a large number of international papers were presented at the conference. "In addition to papers from participants in the region, we also received papers from Malaysia and Pakistan. This range of perspectives can deepen our conversations and broaden our knowledge of the international context in business, economics, finance and Islamic finance."

Darmawati continued, this year, we had the honor to receive participants from several universities, including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; Universitas Muhammadiyah, Surakarta; Universitas Negeri Medan, Universitas Bina Nusantara, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Bengkulu, Universitas  Sumatera Utara, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry, IAIN Lhokseumawe, and Politeknik Lhokseumawe.

"I want to thank all of the keynote speakers, presenters, session leaders, and everyone else who helped make this event possible. Your expertise and dedication are invaluable, and we are honored to have you participate in this lively discussion," she said.

In her speech, Jullimursyida Ph.D, Dean of FEB Universitas Malikussaleh, said that the world is currently experiencing a digital revolution. Everyone must overcome the obstacle of adapting to the digital world, including nations, cities, businesses, industries, and communities. Many industries, such as finance, management, and economics, will undergo profound and revolutionary changes. These new adaptations are expected to lead to economic progress and sustainability.

"The conference aims to provide a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and insights on various aspects of finance, economics and business in the context of digital transformation and sustainability. Academics are increasingly interested in conducting research on these topics, as existing research in this area is still limited to specific topics," she noted.

Dr. Azhari, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of Universitas Malikussaleh, opened the conference on behalf of the Rector. According to Azhari, the aim of this global conference is to promote communication among scholars working in the fields of business, accounting, management and economics.

"ICOFEB 2023 is expected to be a platform for gathering and disseminating the latest knowledge in the field of economics."

He continued, "Universitas Malikussaleh needs to fulfill many important aspects to become a Center of Excellence (CoE). Resources, publications, creativity and research are needed to support this. We believe that it's not possible to work alone. Collaboration and cooperation are therefore highly valued. This international conference is a place for researchers from different backgrounds and universities to share research results. We hope that after this event, the need for cooperation and collaboration between universities, research institutions and industries will grow both locally and internationally." 

He also thanked everyone for attending the conference, which was hosted by Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Malikussaleh.

Related keynote speakers at this event, including Prof. Dr. Fauzias Mat Nor from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM); Dr. Syurkani Ishak Kasim, as Director of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Saudi Arabia; Eko Heru Prasetyo, Ph.D. from Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama; Professor. Dr. Ahnaf Alsmady from the University of Tabuk Saudi Arabia; Dr. Ir. Azhari, M.SC, ASEAN, Eng and Dr. Ir. Rozanna Dewi from Universitas Malikussaleh (sis/tkf)