SPECIAL REPORT: An Interview with Christoph Pausch of e-MFP on European Microfinance Week, Luxembourg & Online, November 2023

e-MFP logoMicroCapital: What can we expect from EMW2023, happening in-person November 15-17 in Luxembourg and online?
Christoph Pausch: EMW2022, back in-person after two years, showed us that there is no substitute for getting the opinion leaders and decision-makers in the inclusive finance sector together in-person, ensuring they have the time and space to debate, make new connections, and of course give presentations and discuss the various challenges and innovations under­way around the world.

After the success of the hy­brid EMW2022, which gathered 570 attend­ees (including over 200 who joined us online) from 48 countries, we are delighted to return to the beautiful Abbaye de Neumunster in Luxem­bourg for another hybrid event, which will once again offer an excep­tion­al networking and knowledge-sharing experi­ence with the top ex­perts in the financial inclusion sector. And the programme is designed to be as conducive as possible to those joining us online from different time zones. Plus, sessions will be re­corded for “catch-up” after.

MC: What choices of sessions can attendees expect?
CP: As always, EMW sessions have been put forward largely by our members – so they address the sector’s current “hot topics” – and we organise them across several thematic streams. We received an enor­mous response to our call for proposals that went out early in the sum­mer, giving us great scope for a fascinating, diverse program across different streams. In addition to our usual annual topic areas – digiti­sation, social performance, funding/investment – this year there also will be streams on refugee finance, agri-finance, a particular emphasis on

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