Harvard Law School Receives Grant from Swiss Re for Study

Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems has received a grant to study worldwide capital adequacy regulation of financial institutions. The project, supported by Swiss Reinsurance Company, will involve experts from Harvard and Swiss Re in a cooperative 18-month long process.

The project will present its findings at a conference in late 2002 held at Swiss Re’s Ruschlikon Centre for Global Dialogue located near the company’s headquarters in Zurich.

Leading scholars in economics and law will analyze the use of subordinated debt, internal models, and rating agencies. They also will examine the effect on capital of reinsurance, securitization, credit derivatives, and similar instruments. Two major issues to be addressed are the enforcement of capital regulations and how to apply the rules to a conglomerate.

The Centre for global dialogue in Ruschlikon, which opened its doors in November 2000, is Swiss Re’s platform for risk dialogue with partners and experts worldwide. A key goal of the centre is to facilitate the building of networks, the sharing of knowledge and the generation of sustainable innovation.

The Harvard Law School Program on International Financial Systems was founded in 1986. It was established to conduct research linking law, economics and finance. In the past fifteen years it has published books, held symposia, and provided technical assistance to a variety of countries.

Swiss Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurers, has more than 70 offices in more than 30 countries.