The expanding range of global competition, coupled with the growing volumes of complex data in companies after having spent the last decade implementing Enterprise Resource Planning, have forced businesses and academics alike to turn to sophisticated technologies for solutions. Business Intelligence plays ever-increasingly important roles in companies to obtain the competitive advantages. The marriage between the cutting-edge business intelligence technology and traditional topics of finance and economics has resulted in the field of Financial Engineering. Accordingly, financial engineering as a cross-disciplinary field relies on mathematical finance, intelligent methods and computer simulations to make trading, hedging and investment decisions, as well as facilitating the risk management of those decisions, and thus strengthening the competitive capability of companies. To promote the theoretical development and exchange of Business Intelligence and Financial Engineering, the First International Conference on Business Intelligence and Financial Engineering (BIFE'2008) was held at Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha, on October 28-30, 2008.

The main purposes of the 2009 International Conference on Business Intelligence and Financial Engineering (BIFE’2009) are to exchange information and ideas on business intelligence and financial engineering, to promote a higher academic level of business intelligence and financial engineering, and meantime to provide an international forum for experts from academia in the field of business intelligence and financial engineering from universities throughout the world, as well as business practitioners and senior management from industries can discuss current focus problems, new modeling approaches and future alternative solutions.

 

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About Beijing

 

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and its political, cultural, domestic and international exchange center. It is one of the largest well-known historical and cultural cities and China's capital since the 15th century. With an area of over 17,800 square kilometers, the city is presently divided into 16 districts: Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu, Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan, Fengtai, Shunyi, Changping, Mentougou, Tongzhou, Fangshan, Daxing, Huairou and Pinggu. In addition to these urban districts, the municipality is comprised of two counties: Miyun and Yanqing. The population has exceeded 17 million.

 

Beijing is endowed with rare cultural heritage by its long history. The Great Wall, one of the world wonders and the only piece of man-made architecture that can be seen from the space, meanders through mountains and valleys for hundreds of kilometers in the region of Beijing. The poetic and picturesque Summer Palace is a classic work of the imperial garden. The Forbidden City is the most splendid architectural complex of imperial palaces in the world. The Temple of Heaven is the place of worship for emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties as well as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architectural art. The above four have all been listed in the World Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Hutongs and the dwelling compounds (quadrangles or Siheyuan) are of the most Beijing flavored. They have witnessed the ups and downs of the city in the past centuries and are a symbol of the life of Beijing people.