The rapid fusion of technology and finance is reshaping the landscape of financial industry, offering new opportunities for innovation and growth while improving accessibility and efficiency of financial services. As this trend continues to progress, we can expect a significant increase in the demand for FinTech talents equipped with a profound understanding of finance and business, as well as the cutting-edge technology such as data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, and so on. Such demand entails not only a systematic interdisciplinary curriculum integrating both finance and technology education, but also a conducive learning environment to inspire students with entrepreneurial spirit, a highly valued attribute in the modern financial industry that emphasizes opportunity identification, risk taking, and innovations in solutions.
To meet the above market demands, the collaborative programme between SEEM, CUHK and ITF, SJTU aims to fully combine the research and teaching strengths of both universities to deliver high-level and diverse interdisciplinary education leading to Bachelor of Engineering in Financial Technology and Bachelor of Economics in Finance. The strengths of the participating partners from both universities complement each other. With the resulting synergistic effects, the proposed programme can benefit students in several ways. Firstly, the courses will be taught by a team of experienced faculty members from both CUHK and SJTU who bring both academic expertise and practical experience to the classroom. The curriculum integrates finance, technology, economic, and law and regulation. Students will receive a solid engineering education through its rigorous Bachelor of Engineering study, and they will also acquire knowledge in areas such as economics, management, and finance from a sound training leading to a Bachelor of Economics. This cross-disciplinary design enables them to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the finance and technology sectors. Secondly, students will have plenty of opportunities during the study period to participate in case studies, research projects, and other relevant experiential learning activities. As one advantage unique to the proposed programme, students study in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, the most important financial centers for China. This geographical convenience grants the programme’s students easy access to the financial sectors in both cities to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios. Both universities currently maintain strong collaborations with numerous financial institutions and industry partners. Leveraging on these existing resources, the programme will reach out to the industrial partners to offer students various forms of entrepreneurship education such as guest speakers, practicum courses, industrial mentorships, and hands-on projects. Thirdly, the programme is expected to attract a diverse and high-quality student body, both from mainland China, Hong Kong, and from around the world. This will provide students with opportunities to learn from and collaborate with peers from different backgrounds and cultures, and to develop a global perspective on the tech-finance industry.
