The Fourth Annual Conference on the Fintech Discipline in China and also the Fintech Education Forum of the Qiantang River Financial Harbor, hosted by Central University of Finance and Economics, Higher Education Press, Zhejiang University of Technology, and Zhejiang Financial Talents Association, and co-organized by the School of Economics of Zhejiang University of Technology, was synchronously held online and offline on November 15, 2020. The offline venue was located at the Fintech Lab of Qiantang River Financial Harbor in Hangzhou, and cnki.net supported the online platform. Dozens of experts and scholars from Chinese and foreign universities and executives from fintech companies attended the annual conference. They had discussions on fintech talent training, academic research, and the development of fintech practice, among other topics. The annual conference was divided into the main forum, the parallel forum on teaching, and the academic parallel forum.

Secretary Deng Fuguo, member of the Party Group of Zhejiang Financial Supervision Bureau, Professor Yang Zhaoting, Executive Vice Chairman of the Special Committee on Fintech of the China Society of Technology Economics, and Professor Yu Xiaofen, Vice President of Zhejiang University of Technology, addressed the opening ceremony, respectively. Professor Xu Weixiang, Dean of the School of Economics of Zhejiang University of Technology, presided over the annual conference. 

The release ceremony of the first three books of “Fintech Textbook Series” was held at the main forum. Director Yu Ming of Economic, Management and Law Department of Higher Education Press delivered a keynote speech on the objectives, significance, and content of editing and publishing of fintech textbook series; Professor Li Jianjun, Director of the Editorial Board of the series and Dean of the School of Finance of Central University of Finance and Economics, made a keynote speech on the development of fintech major, talent training and the textbook system of On Fintech; Professor Zhong Xueling, Editor-in-Chief of the textbook Python Financial Data Mining and Vice Dean of the School of Internet Finance and Information Engineering of Guangdong University of Finance, gave a presentation on the framework of the textbooks.

Yu Ming (left), Li Jianjun (middle), and Zhong Xueling (right) delivered speeches at the launch ceremony of the fintech textbook series.

In the keynote speech session, Associate Professor Xie Xuanli of the National School of Development affiliated to Peking University, who is also a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Digital Finance Peking University, and Professor Li Guoquan of Singapore University of Social Sciences delivered speeches on cutting-edge fintech topics such as the digital transformation of commercial banks and financial innovation.

Xie Xuanli (left) and Li Guoquan (right) delivered keynote speeches. 

At the parallel sub-forum on teaching, Professor Chen Shenglan of the School of Economics of Zhejiang University of Technology presided over the first session of featured speeches, where Professor Zhao Jingmei, Dean of the School of Finance of Southwest University of Finance and Economics, Professor Zhao Shangmei, Director of the Department of Finance of Beihang University, and Liu Yong, President of the Zhongguancun Internet Finance Institute, made speeches successively. Professor Zhang Ning of the School of Finance of Central University of Finance and Economics hosted the second session of the round-table forum, where Professor Luo Hang, Dean of the School of Economics of Xihua University, Professor Qin Xiangying, Dean of the School of Financial Technology of Hebei Finance University, Professor Shi Yongdong, Dean of the School of Applied Finance and Behavioral Science of Northeast University of Finance and Economics, Professor Xiong Deping, Dean of the School of Finance of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, and Professor Yang Dayong of the School of Economics of Beijing Technology and Business University discussed the training of fintech professionals. 

The parallel sub-forum on teaching. From top left to bottom right: Zhao Jingmei, Zhao Shangmei, Liu Yong, Luo Hang, Shi Yongdong, Xiong Deping, Qin Xiangying, and Yang Deyong

The academic parallel sub-forum was chaired by Associate Professor Peng Yuchao, Director of the Academic Communication Department of the School of Finance of Central University of Finance and Economics and member of the National Federation of Young Financial Professionals, and Associate Professor Zhang Xiaoxi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Securities and Futures of Zhejiang University. Associate Professor Zhang Xiaoxi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Securities and Futures of Zhejiang University, Associate Professor Song Ke, Deputy Secretary of the School of Finance of Renmin University of China, Assistant Professor Wang Jingyi of the School of Finance of Central University of Finance and Economics, Ph.D. student Wang Xue of the National School of Development Peking University, Assistant Professor Yan Zhu of the School of Economics of Central University for Nationalities, and Assistant Professor Tang Guohao of the College of Finance and Statistics of Hunan University, briefed on their latest academic research results in the field of fintech, covering several hot research topics such as machine learning, mobile payment, digital finance, and big data. They also had a lively discussion and exchanged ideas fully with the participating scholars.

Online participants at the academic parallel sub-forum

Held once a year, the Annual Conference on the Fintech Discipline is a professional platform for academic exchanges jointly launched by the School of Finance of Central University of Finance and Economics, the National School of Development of Peking University, and Higher Education Press, aimed at providing an open academic exchange platform for universities and financial institutions to talk on the training of fintech talents, academic theory innovation, and practical frontier issues. The first and third annual conferences were held in our university. In conjunction with the second Fintech Education Forum of the Qiantang River Financial Harbor, the fourth annual conference was hosted by Zhejiang University of Technology.