LEADING
ACADEMIC EXPERTS TO EXAMINE BURGEONING DEBT LEVELS AT SYMPOSIUM
SPONSORED BY
AND THE
w:st='on'>
size='3'>UNIVERSITY
size='3'>ILLINOIS
size='3'>January 24, 2008 Alexandria, Va.
size='3'>—Leading U.S. and international scholars will gather to
examine the phenomenon of debt at “A Debtor World:
Interdisciplinary Academic Symposium on Debt,” sponsored by the
American Bankruptcy Institute (
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>ABI
size='3'>) and the University of Illinois College of Law. The symposium,
scheduled for May 2-3, at the
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>University
size='3'>of
size='3'>Illinois in
size='3'>Champaign
w:st='on'>
size='3'>Ill.
feature a paper and presentation by each of the expert speakers on a
topic related to the accumulation, psychological effects or resolution
of debt. The keynote speaker at the symposium will be
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>James Scurlock
size='3'>, the producer of the award-winning documentary film,
Maxed Out
size='3'>.
Americans have committed
their future cash flows at an unprecedented rate as there is almost
$30,000 outstanding in consumer credit and home mortgages for every man,
woman and child in the United States, according to the latest figures
from the Federal Reserve. Even on an inflation-adjusted basis, that
represents a thirteen-fold increase since 1946 when the figure was only
$2,200. Also, business debt is nine times as large as it was in 1946.
The phenomenon of rising debt levels is not confined to the
size='3'>United States
size='3'>; other countries also have experienced burgeoning levels of
private debt. In the past decade, the
w:st='on'>
size='3'>U.S.
model has been exported to other countries as
w:st='on'>
size='3'>Japan,
size='3'>Korea
size='3'>and many western European countries have seen consumer debt
levels skyrocket.
The purpose of the Debt
Symposium is to take a scholarly examination of debt as a phenomenon,
rather than as a problem or solution. It will feature leading U.S. and
international scholars who have written about debt or issues related to
debt in a wide range of academic disciplines such as sociology,
psychology, history, philosophy, law, neuroscience, business, economics,
finance, strategic management and organizational theory.
Scholars scheduled to
present papers and speak at the symposium include
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Terry Halliday
size='3'>of the American Bar Foundation, Prof.
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Heidi Hurd of
the University of Illinois (Philosophy and Law), Prof.
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Brian Knutson
size='3'>of Stanford University (Neuroscience), Prof.
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>Stephen Lea of
Exeter University (Psychology), Prof. Gerry
McNamara of Michigan State University
(Management), Prof.
size='3'>Craig Muldrew of Queens College of
Cambridge (History), Prof.
size='3'>George Ritzer of the University of
Maryland (Sociology), Prof.
size='3'>Amir Sufi of the University of
Chicago, (Business), Prof.
size='3'>Teresa Sullivan of the University of
Michigan (Sociology), Prof.
size='3'>Paul Vaaler of the University of
Minnesota (Management), Prof.
size='3'>Elizabeth Warren of Harvard
University (Law) and Prof.
size='3'>Richard Wiener of the University of
Nebraska (Psychology).
Please visit
href='http://www.abiworld.org/Debt08/'>
size='3'>http://www.abiworld.org/Debt08/
size='3'>for more information on the Debt Symposium. If you are a member
of the press and would like to attend the symposium, please
contact
size='3'>John Hartgen
size='3'>at
face='Times New Roman' color='#0000ff'
size='3'>jhartgen@abiworld.org
size='3'>.
###
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>ABI
size='3'>is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization
dedicated to research and education on matters related to
insolvency.
was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public
with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The
w:st='on'>
size='3'>ABI
nearly 11,600 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors,
lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals,
providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For
additional information on
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>ABI
size='3'>, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference
information, visit
href='http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html'>
size='3'>http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>.