NEWSLETTER
Series 2 - January 2021
HKU-EdX FinTech Professional Certificate
Looking Back, Looking Forward:
Finance, Technology and Regulation in 2021
In this episode of Looking Back Looking Forward - the first of 2021 and the first of our second series - looking forward, Professor Douglas Arner talks about the key themes for FinTech, RegTech and digital finance in 2021.
Looking back, Professor Arner highlights how 2020 marked the key trends for digital finance over the next decade: technology, sustainability, and an ongoing tension between globalisation and fragmentation. Looking at these in 2021, the focus will be on Digital Finance Platforms such as Ant, on normalisation of cryptocurrencies and digital assets, on building better infrastructure including RegTech/SupTech and central bank digital currencies, and on the role of data and cybersecurity.
For more information on the University of Hong Kong's financial technology programme, check out all the episodes of Looking Back Looking Forward, and discover the transformation of information technology's ever-growing impact on finance.
ESG Series: Digitising Green Bonds in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is emerging as an important center for green bonds, especially for mainland China issuers. But certification, public awareness, and liquidity are just some challenges for issuers and investors.
Can digital technology solve some of these problems? Can expanding blockchain-based green bonds to retail investors also be part of the solution? What experiences can we gain from other markets?
The Blockchain and WealthTech Committees of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong with support from Asian Institute of International Financial Law are organising a webinar with global participants to discuss the prospects for digitising green bonds in Hong Kong. Join us on Thursday, 4 February 2021, at 4pm HKT/SGT.
FinTech Capsule - How does Bitcoin actually work?
In the second episode of the FinTech Capsule, Henri Arslanian provides a simple explanation of how Bitcoin actually works. It goes without saying that it is important to understand the essentials before entering the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
More educational content provided by Henri Arslanian can be found on his Youtube Channel.
HKU LITE Lab New Course: Lawtech & Regtech Sandbox
We are very excited to announce that for the semester starting in January 2021, LITE Lab@HKU is launching a new course called LITE Lab: Lawtech & Regtech Sandbox – led by Brian Tang, founding executive director of LITE Lab@HKU.
The course will enable students using legal design thinking, agile methodology and computational thinking through no-code / low-code document automation platforms to co-design and create proof-of-concepts with organisations addressing real-world issues, and offer this unique opportunity to participate.
LITE – Law, Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship – Lab@HKU is a new interdisciplinary and experiential programme co-hosted by the University of Hong Kong's Asian Institute of International Financial Law and Law & Technology Centre to support the Hong Kong legal innovation and lawtech ecosystem.
If you are interested in co-designing student-made proof-of-concept lawtech tailored to address your pain-points without cost, please apply by completing the following online questionnaire by Monday, 1 February 2021: Google Form.
Virtual Israeli FinTech and Networking Event
FinStep Asia, together with the Israel Economic and Commercial Mission to Hong Kong and Invest Hong Kong, will be hosting a virtual Israeli FinTech showcase and networking event on Thursday, 4 February 2021 at 16:00 HKT. At the event, 7 FinTech firms in the fields of AI, ML, data analytics, InsureTech and RiskTech will be showcased.
There will also be a panel discussion with the Israeli Securities Authority and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission on the MoU - FinTech cooperation agreement between Israel and Hong Kong.
Register now.
The Future of Money
In Issue 27 of this series, which covers recent topical developments, Henri Arslanian shares some ideas on:
- Why Virgin Bitcoins Command a Premium
- Why Ethereum is Hitting New Record Highs
- Why Private Banks Don't Like Bitcoin
Read more.
Research Grant Council Award - Professor Douglas Arner
The Research Grant Council (RGC) awarded the Asian Institute of International Financial Law Director and the Kerry Holdings Professor in Law, Douglas Arner, the 2020-21 RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme for the research project: Digital Finance, Financial Inclusion and Sustainability - Building Better Financial Systems.
The scheme is directed towards providing support and relief from teaching and administrative duties to outstanding researchers at Associate Professor or Full Professor ranks at University Grants Committee-funded universities in Hong Kong.
Ten places across all academic fields are awarded under each scheme.
Congratulations to Professor Arner!
