Students and colleagues from the University of Westminster’s School of Finance and Accounting have attended FIBE Berlin, one of Europe’s largest Financial Technology (FinTech) conferences. Throughout the two-day event the Westminster delegation had the chance to engage with start-ups, SMEs, corporate organisations and the city itself, giving them the opportunity to learn more about Berlin and the latest innovation and policy developments within the industry.
The convention was organised by Handelsblatt, the largest German business and financial newspaper, and the Berlin Finance Initiative (BFI), which promotes traditional and new financial market players in Berlin to create a unique FinTech hub. The event drew over 1000 delegates from across Europe and the wider world to network and hear from industry leaders, banks, entrepreneurs and policy makers on cutting edge FinTech.
Sessions included Winning the InsurTech Race: AI, Longevity and the Keys to Success; FinTech Meets Big Tech – Shaping the Future of Finance; and Fighting Green Depression - How FinTechs Lead the Change. Talks were given by a variety of experienced entrepreneurs, bank leaders and commentors from Handelsblatt, including Dan Schulman, Former CEO of PayPal, Margrethe Vestager, Former European Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission, and Raman Bhatia, Group CEO at Starling Bank.
Tom Lowe, Assistant Head of the School of Finance and Accounting at Westminster, said: “The excursion held multiple benefits for our students. First, the conference significantly builds the commercial awareness of our students in an international setting. Second, the event exposed our students to new networks to pursue during and following their degree. And finally, students engaged with potential employers and partners for their future career.”
As part of the excursion, students were also given a tour of Berlin, where they had the chance to discuss its history, geography and economy.
Lowe added: “Berlin holds great importance to the FinTech and finance industry where the city acts as a hub for a vibrant start-up scene, capital investment, innovation environment and a broad network of events and collaborations.”
One student who took part in the trip was Ryan Dinu. He said: “The trip provided an incredible opportunity to meet some of the key players in the FinTech space who are shaping the future of digital finance and gave us the chance to speak to them directly. It was also a great chance to hear from founders, CEOs and prominent figures in the finance world about what they think the future of FinTech looks like and exactly what is going on in the industry today. I had a great time meeting and bonding with the FinTech with Business Analytics MSc students, who shared their insights about the industry, but also forming new friendships and networks that were carried beyond this trip. Hearing from companies at the forefront of FinTech really highlighted the breadth of the industry and introduced me to new career paths that I had previously not considered.”
Find out more about studying postgraduate and undergraduate FinTech courses at the University of Westminster.
Learn more about the School of Finance and Accounting.
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