Islamic finance's approach to risk sharing makes it less speculative and more disciplined than its conventional counterpart. However, says Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani, the president of the Islamic Development Bank, if the industry is to reach its full potential, more collaboration and innovation is needed.
There is a real chance that the Greek economy could recover significantly in 2016 following the successful recapitalisation of its main banks late last year, but first the country must take some important steps, not least regaining the trust of foreign investors, according to John (Iannis) Mourmouras, the senior deputy governor of the Bank of Greece.
Banks have seen their reputations plummet in the years since the onset of the financial crisis, and regaining the public's trust is of paramount importance. By instilling a code of conduct – and including four principles of good conduct within that – financial institutions can start on that journey.
The resolution of the financial markets will be tested again and again in the years to come. To ensure that confidence remains high and growth is sustained, it is vital that those within the industry fully understand the changes that have happened since the onset of the financial crisis, writes Bank of England deputy governor Minouche Shafik.
Indonesia's minister of finance discusses the country's efforts to achieve a sustainable growth path. Budget reforms and fiscal stimulus have already been pushed through. But to tackle the question of poor infrastructure, the government needs more than increased investment.
Without help from balance sheet repair and structural reforms, easy monetary policy will not restore economic growth after a financial crisis – and may even make things worse, writes Jaime Caruana, the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements.
The formation of a European banking union should have helped ease Greece's economic woes, but far from putting European banks on an even footing, the so-called union left Greece out in the cold, writes former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.
The two earthquakes that hit Nepal in April and May 2015 were the largest natural calamity in the country in over 80 years. Finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat describes how the country is recovering, and explains why the Nepal that rises from the rubble will be stronger than ever.
The announcement in December 2014 of a restoration of normal relations between Cuba and the US shocked many, and thus far very little opposition has been registered. However, this inactivity should not shroud the challenges that lie ahead for both countries, says Peter Hakim of Inter-American Dialogue.
Watching the success of its Asian counterparts acted as the catalyst for Malaysia to rethink its economy, reducing its dependence on natural resources and putting greater faith in the private sector, all while reducing government spending and keeping debt to a manageable level. The country's minister without portfolio, Idris Jala, describes the plan's progress.
Much of the success of the Turkish banking sector is down to the internal practices of individual lenders, says Akbank chairperson Suzan Sabancı Dinçer, which means that the sector can expect to remain resilient, even when wider economic conditions are not in its favour.
The rise of e-commerce, and more recently digital wallets, has been a fragmented affair, meaning there is little standardisation across the e-payments industry. This is something that needs addressing, says Jeff Jaffe, CEO of the World Wide Web Consortium, and there is no time to lose.