Giusy Chesini, University of Verona, Italy Josanco Floreani, University of Udine, Italy Elisa Giaretta, University of Verona, Italy Elisabetta Gualandri, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy René W.H. van der Linden, In Holland University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands Stefano Miani, University of Udine, Italy Pierluigi Morelli, Italian Bank Association, Italy Andrea Paltrinieri, University of Verona, Italy Flavio Pichler, University of Verona, Italy Giovanni B. Pittaluga, Genoa University, Italy Maurizio Polato, University of Venice, Italy Pablo San Martín, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile Paolo Saona, Saint Louis University's Madrid Campus, Spain Elena Seghezza, Genoa University, Italy Eleuterio Vallelado, University of Valladolid, Spain Valeria Venturelli, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy

• 1. Institutional Change and the Design of Financial Systems; Ted Lindblom, Stefan Sjögren and Magnus Willesson 2. The Road to a Viable Euro Zone and the Conditions to Become a More Optimal Currency Region; René W.H. van der Linden 3. The Role of the Federal Reserve as International LOLR During the Crisis; Pierluigi Morelli, Giovanni B. Pittaluga and Elena Seghezza 4. Firm-Based and Institutional-Based Determinants of the Bank Debt Maturity; Eleuterio Vallelado, Paolo Saona and Pablo San Martín 5. The Financing of Italian Firms and the Credit Crunch; Elisabetta Gualandri and Valeria Venturelli 6. Analysis of the Earnings of Italian Asset Management Companies and Their Portfolio Companies in the Field of Private Equity; Elisa Giaretta and Giusy Chesini 7. Does 'Political Bias' Undermine the Korea Investment Corporation?; Andrea Paltrinieri, Flavio Pichler and Stefano Miani 8. Regulating High-Frequency Trading; Giusy Chesini and Elisa Giaretta 9. Islamic and Conventional Exchanges; Josanco Floreani, Andrea Paltrinieri, Maurizio Polato and Flavio Pichler