GFI and AMTD Foundation awards scholarships and sets up Professional Council
● GFI sets up the Professional Council aimed at guiding GFI to offer continuing education programmes for its members
Fintech in China and ASEAN panel following the virtual award ceremony held last evening
Singapore, 23 December 2020 - Global Fintech Institute (GFI) and the AMTD Charity Foundation announced today that they awarded the AMTD-GFI SpiderNet scholarships to 20 elite students from Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) to complete the Chartered FinTech Professional (CFtP) qualification in a virtual ceremony held last evening.
As part of the scholarship, the students will be offered internship opportunities with leading Fintech firms in Singapore and across the region in leading FinTech and innovative firms that are partmembers of the AMTD SpiderNet. The AMTD SpiderNet is a multi-dimensional and cross-sector ecosystem that is continuously expanding, to connect and promote collaboration between its partners, including clients, shareholders, institutional investors, government bodies, and industry associations.
This scholarship is part of a strategic partnership between GFI and AMTD, which aims at supporting and anchoring the CFtP qualification with industry mentorships, thought leadership and cross-border learning journeys opportunities. The CFtP qualification, a collaborative project by GFI, SUSS and the Shanghai Institute of the International Finance Center (SIIFC) of SUFE, aims to promote the global Fintech sector and raise the level of professionalism within the industry. In addition, the CFtP qualification provides a pathway for professionals from other industries to embark on a career in Fintech.
GFI has also set up the Professional Council and welcomes Mr He Yifan, Founder and CEO of Red Date Technology, Ms Lisette Cipriano, Senior Digital Technology Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Ms Lotte Schou-Zibell, Regional Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB); Professor Pei Sai Fan, Founder of Libai Academy, ex-Director of Banking Supervision at Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and ex-Director of MAS Academy; Professor Timothy Tong, CEO, AMTD Charity Foundation and Chairman of The Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum; Mr Tony Yeoh, CEO of Digital Penang; Ms Wijitleka Marome, Deputy Director of Financial Technology Department at Bank of Thailand and Mr Zhang Yifeng, Director of Zhongchao Blockchain Technology Research Institute (ZCBTRI) to the Professional Council. The Professional Council will guide GFI to offer continuing education programs aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of its members to meet future challenges.
In addition, GFI welcomes new members to its Academic Council, which includes Professor Benedict Koh, Professor of Finance (Education) and Associate Dean (PG Programmes), Singapore Management University; Professor Sulaeman Johan, Dean’s Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Finance, National University of Singapore and Professor Yougesh Khatri, Associate Professor, Division of Banking & Finance, Nanyang Technological University. The Academic Council is responsible for upholding the academic quality and standards of the CFtP curriculum and the CFtP examinations, as well as approving university degree programmes that qualify for exemptions for some components of the CFtP examinations.
The Covid-19 pandemic has on one hand accelerated the adoption of digital finance, but on the other hand exacerbated the digital divide and exclusion. In the coming two to three years, GFI will be focussing on research and training on new areas like green finance and financial inclusion – to make Fintech inclusive, sustainable and purposeful.
Professor David Lee, Co-Founder and Chairman of GFI, said, “We are thankful to the AMTD Group for supporting and anchoring the Chartered Fintech Professional qualification with scholarships and internships for the young Fintech talents from Singapore and China. Meanwhile, we welcome the new members of the Professional Council, which will guide the Global Fintech Institute and its members with their expertise and knowledge. We are excited to contribute to the global Fintech industry and nurturing young talents who are the future of the workforce.”
Mr Calvin Choi, Chairman and CEO of AMTD Group, Founder of AMTD Charity Foundation, added, “AMTD is proud to be the core strategic partner of GFI and to establish the AMTD-GFI SpiderNet scholarship to support and provide opportunities for outstanding students in Singapore and China. We firmly embrace GFI’s mission to establish a global FinTech talent accreditation standard, and set up a global platform for talents to connect with the global communities. AMTD is committed to grooming the FinTech talents and empowering the FinTech community in Singapore by leveraging our global network and resources, connecting them to the Greater Bay Area, China and globally.”
Dr. Timothy Tong, CEO of AMTD Charity Foundation and Chairman of The Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum, said, “Over the last several years, FinTech has become the new frontier of enabling technology in the financial industry. Various employment surveys have reported severe shortage of FinTech talents. The AMTD-GFI SpiderNet scholarships demonstrate AMTD’s commitment to nurturing talents to support the continued growth of the financial sector.”
Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Provost of SUSS, commented, “Singapore University of Social Sciences is grateful to the Global Fintech Institute (GFI) and the AMTD Charity Foundation for funding the AMTD-GFI SpiderNet scholarships to assist our students complete the Chartered Fintech Professional qualification. More importantly, our students look forward to the industry attachments and mentorships that AMTD and GFI will provide.”
Professor Zhao Xiaoju, Dean of SIIFC, said, “During this COVID-19 pandemic, "non-contact financial services" based on Fintech are ensuring the basic financial needs of the public and are effectively promoting economic recovery. The future competition of global finance will concentrate on Fintech. Fintech talent becomes particularly important. The market needs Fintech talents who must not only have a cutting-edge Fintech theoretical foundation, but also have practical capabilities. The AMTD scholarship will encourage young talents to participate in the study of Fintech theory as well as the development of Fintech practice. We appreciate AMTD’s strong support for the cultivation of Fintech talents. I hope that more organisations will contribute together. I encourage AMTD scholarship awardees to work harder and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours.”
About the Global Fintech Institute
The Global Fintech Institute, headquartered in Singapore, is a global professional credentialing body dedicated to creating greater collaboration, advocacy, ethics and knowledge for all Fintech professionals.
It aims to empower members and the community to leverage Fintech for growth and transformation, through engaging the community in the latest trends, issues and development in Fintech; facilitating collaborations with and knowledge-sharing among regional and international Fintech organisations; promoting best practices and co-developing standards and governance guidelines for the fair use of Fintech and providing education and training to build industry capabilities and groom talents in Fintech.
For more information on GFI, please visit www.globalfintechinstitute.org
About AMTD Group
AMTD Group is a leading comprehensive financial services focused conglomerate, with core businesses in investment banking, asset management, digital financial solutions; and non-financial services areas including education and real estate investment.
AMTD International (NYSE: HKIB; SGX: HKB), a subsidiary of AMTD Group, is a leading independent investment bank in Asia and one of Asia’s largest independent asset management companies, and has been a leading investor in Fintech and new economy sectors. AMTD International was successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019, representing the first Hong Kong headquartered financial institution listed on NYSE. On April 8, 2020, AMTD International completed its secondary listing on SGX-ST.
AMTD Digital, the digital solutions arm of AMTD Group, is headquartered in Singapore engaging in digital financial services, digital media marketing and data intelligence, digital connectors and ecosystem building, and digital investments. AMTD Digital aims to build a one-stop, comprehensive, cross-market, and innovative digital solutions platform.
For more information on AMTD Group, please visit www.amtdgroup.com
About AMTD Charity Foundation
AMTD Charity Foundation is established by Mr. Calvin Choi, Chairman of AMTD Group to fulfill the commitment of Mr. Choi and AMTD Group in giving back to the society and upholding social responsibility. AMTD Charity Foundation has been putting in great efforts in promoting education, relieving poverty, and supporting people in need in Asia and across the world. AMTD actively supports a range of corporate social responsibility activities, such as the sponsorship of Caritas Charity TV Show for 13 consecutive years, and being a key supporter of amfAR (the Foundation for AIDS Research), one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations on AIDS research, etc. AMTD Charity Foundation has also been committed to promoting technological development and talent cultivation. AMTD has formed a long-term partnership with Xiaomi, Singapore Management University, and Institute of Systems Science at the National University of Singapore to establish “AXSI Digital Finance Leadership Program”, cooperated with the University of Waterloo to launch the “University of Waterloo-AMTD Innovation Hub” and “AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship”, and collaborated with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University to create the “AMTD Fintech Centre of PolyU Faculty of Business”, leading to the establishment of the first doctoral degree in FinTech program across Asia.
For more information on AMTD Charity Foundation, please visit www.amtdfoundation.com
About the Singapore University of Social Sciences
SUSS is a university with a rich heritage in inspiring lifelong education and transforming society through social sciences. We develop work-ready graduates and work-adaptive alumni to their fullest potential through our 3H’s education philosophy – ‘Head’ for professional competency with applied knowledge, ‘Heart’ for social awareness of the needs of the society, and ‘Habit’ for passion towards lifelong learning.
We offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate programmes, available in full- and part-time study modes which are flexible, modular and inter-disciplinary, catering to both fresh school leavers and adult learners. SUSS also offers a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills upgrading of Singapore's workforce.
Our programmes and courses are offered by our five schools:
● S R Nathan School of Human Development
● School of Business
● School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences
● School of Law
● School of Science and Technology
To date, over 35,000 graduates have experienced our unique brand of education, and each year, about 15,000 students are pursuing their full- and part-time studies with us. The Institute of Adult Learning (IAL) , as part of SUSS, leads in the field of research on adult learning to build capabilities of the training and adult education sector in Singapore and beyond.
For more information on SUSS, please visit www.suss.edu.sg .
About the Shanghai Institute of International Finance Center, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
The Shanghai Institute of International Finance Center (SIIFC) is a university-based think tank under the guidance and support of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and administrated by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE).
The School of Finance of SUFE (SoF) was founded in 1998 as the first finance school in China. It is formerly the Banking Department of National Southeast University established in 1921, which is one of the earliest institutions in China that offer financial higher education. The founders of SoF, Yang Yinpu and Zhu Sihuang, were also the founders of modern Chinese finance discipline. The SoF has 5 departments, including Banking, Insurance, International Finance, Securities and Futures, and Corporate Finance, as well as nearly 10 research institutions, such as Quantitative Financial Research Center and Fintech Research Center.
These departments and research institutions cover all the financial research fields. According to Shanghai Ranking's Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, SoF ranks No. 1 in Mainland China. In terms of the number of top publications, SoF ranks among the top three in Mainland China. SUFE is also among the first batch of universities in China that launched programmes with Fintech major (Fintech undergraduate programme in 2018 and graduate program in 2019), integrating finance, statistics, big data science, and computer science disciplines. These programs, facilitated by the key laboratory platform in finance, aim to equip new financial talents with financial and economic theory, data processing capabilities, and intelligent technology knowledge through systematic Fintech courses.
For more information on SIIFC and SoF, please visit http://siifc.shufe.edu.cn/ ; http://sof.sufe.edu.cn/ . http://siifc.shufe.edu.cn /; http://sof.sufe.edu.cn/
