Hong Kong is pursuing fintech to strengthen its position as an international financial centre. Aimed at promoting fintech talent development through academia-industry collaboration, the School of Business and Management of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) and financial services company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on collaborations covering industry insight sharing, internship and employment opportunities, as well as joint efforts on industrial research.
Marking the first initiative launched under this partnership, selected master’s degree students of the HKUST Business School have already commenced fintech training under the global fintech training program 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion. Given the overwhelmingly positive response from students, the program quota for the School has been increased from several dozen as originally planned to over 100.
Selected participants in the 10 x 1000 Tech for Inclusion program can opt for fintech-related online courses and seminars and join the 10 x 1000 community to engage with industry tutors and students from across the globe. Aimed at training 1,000 emerging talents and tech leaders each year for the next ten years, 10 x 1000 Tech for Inclusion is a philanthropic initiative launched jointly by an international financial institution.
A finance industry practitioner and an HKUST MBA student taking part in the program stated that fintech should serve everyone in society. The 10 x 1000 program’s introduction to fintech inclusion has helped me better understand the value of fintech and its vast opportunities, while its BASIC framework offers a primer to key fintech elements including blockchain, AI, security, IoT and computing power.
The discussion on how tech can be leveraged to achieve scale and solve user pain points is most relevant and useful to the student’s work. The case studies on implementing fintech initiatives are also a very practical reference for professionals and business owners alike.
The Dean of HKUST Business School stated that fintech has become a major pillar in the finance industry. Building on its strengths in finance and technology, the School is the leading player in the fintech sector, to advance fintech talent development in Hong Kong and equip students with practical knowledge and skills in fintech.
He added that students’ overwhelmingly positive response to 10 x 1000 Tech for Inclusion has been encouraging, which underscores their strong desire to upskill themselves for fintech-related work in the future.
The Executive Vice-President of Strategy Development and Government Affairs for the GBA region of the international financial centre stated that strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre and turning the city into an international innovation and technology hub is not only the nation’s expectation but also a key objective of the HKSAR Government.
He noted that the company is encouraged by HKUST students’ strong reception of 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion. Building on this strong start, cooperation opportunities will be further explored with HKUST, leveraging the strengths of both organizations to contribute to fintech talent development in Hong Kong and the broader Greater Bay Area.
About the 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme
Launched in October 2018, 10 x 1000 Tech for Inclusion is a philanthropic initiative that aims to prepare industry practitioners to drive future digital economic growth. Its mission is to train 1,000 learners each year for the next ten years.
A total of 31 domestic, international and regional organizations and institutions, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations World Food Programme, are currently global partners of the programme. In 2021, 1,067 learners from 66 regions and countries completed the online courses. Approximately 80% of the learners were from emerging markets across South and Southeast Asia.
