Looking Back Looking Forward (LBLF)
LBLF provides a concise and analytical discussion of issues relating to the intersection of finance, technology, regulation, globalization and sustainable development.
Led by Professor Douglas Arner, LBLF focuses on major current issues in global finance, presenting them in their wider context.
Topics include digitization and datafication of finance, major trends and themes in global finance and its regulation, and the role of finance in sustainable development.
LBLF goes out every month to over 100,000 learners on the HKU-edX Professional Certificate in FinTech.

In this episode of Looking Back Looking Forward, Professor Douglas Arner examines the shifting dynamics of global monetary power in an age of multipolar mercantilism. From the legacy of Bretton Woods to the strategic rise of the euro and Chinese yuan, Arner unpacks how currencies compete across trade, capital markets, and global trust. He explains why the U.S. dollar remains dominant — and what others must do to challenge it.
Learn more at: hkufintech.com/research