Five members of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Student Society attended the 2025 Value-Based Finance Conference at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (March 18-19, 2025). The event brought together researchers, financial professionals, and academic leaders to explore mobilizing finance toward more just, sustainable, and resilient economies.
Day One: Reimagining the Financial System
Arjo Klamer, professor of humane economy at Vrije Universiteit, opened discussions by examining "The Ideals of Bankers." Rather than viewing finance instrumentally, he encouraged participants to consider what financial professionals value and what world they seek to build. This values-centered framework shaped subsequent conversations about alternative financing and sustainable innovation.
Sessions addressed regulatory challenges in alternative finance and FinTech's role supporting small and medium enterprises. Jelmer Klumperbeek from Nederlandse Waterschapsbank explored how institutional narratives constrain or enable transformative financial action. Tytti Kaasinen from the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) introduced an Academic Network Initiative connecting scholarly and practitioner communities.
Day Two: The Changing World of the Financial Professional
Academics examined ESG integration challenges and corporate governance's influence on fossil fuel divestment in banking. Martin Rohner, GABV's Executive Director, delivered a keynote addressing "financial leadership in an era of multiple crises," demonstrating how values-based banking drives meaningful change.
A panel featuring Niina Pussinen (ABN AMRO), Hilde Sijbring (Dutch Banking Association), Jeroen Derkx (Invest-NL), and Ronald Kleverlaan (Stichting MKB Financiering) explored evolving professional roles amid circular economy transitions, ESG adoption, fintech innovation, and regulatory shifts.
Key Takeaway
The conference reinforced that "finance is never value-neutral." The delegates departed with renewed commitment to advancing sustainable finance across their institution and beyond.
