Muslim economies and financial institutions are striving for decades to develop an Islamic Economic and Finance system with the objective of eliminating poverty and empowering the society. This societal empowerment is not possible with the struggle of a single individual and/or institution. It has to be a joint correlated efforts where every individual, institution, regulator, legislator and leader has to play significant role in achieving the set targets. The beauty of the Islamic economic system is that it provides an opportunity to everyone for participating and contributing to the empowerment of the society.

Today’s world is facing numerous socio-economic, geo-political and environmental challenges. The moderate global economic growth, refugee’s issues, high unemployment rate, poverty, unwanted wars, water shortage, health issues, prevalence of hunger, unpredictable climate changes and the new financial crisis are paving their way to uncertain world economy.

This is the time for the researchers, scholars, students, bankers, executives, entrepreneurs, businessmen,  regulators and legislators to think and answer the question of how the existing issues can be resolved through Islamic Economic System and bringing social innovation; hence, empowering the society under this system. In view of these challenges,Minhaj University Lahore is organizing its 3rd  International Conference on Islamic Economics and Finance under the theme of ‘People  Empowerment, Social Innovation and Role of Islamic Economics’.

The conference will utilize the university’s strength to focus on the consensus that the Islamic Banking and Finance Industry (IBFI) should be more inclined towards ethical and social concerns than the conventional system. Contributors should address research gaps in these areas in particular. Notwithstanding the  continuous discussion and conversation that are currently taking place among academicians, this conference aims to address a specific issue related to people empowerment, inclusion, sustainability and social innovation in particular.