FinTech Webinar | Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities
the chair
In the digital era, financial technology (FinTech) and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) are radically transforming the landscape of financial services. This webinar aims to explore how these innovations not only optimize banking and payment processes but also contribute to the development of a more sustainable economy.
Webinar Objectives:
1. Analysis of the Impact of Financial Technologies: Examining how FinTech redefines financial interactions and improves the accessibility of financial services.
2. Integration of AI in Financial Services: Discussing current applications of artificial intelligence in the banking sector, such as predictive analytics, risk management, and process automation.
3. Challenges and Opportunities: Identifying the challenges faced by financial institutions in adopting these technologies, including regulation, data security, and ethics in AI usage.
4. Building a Sustainable Economy: Analyzing how FinTech and AI can contribute to sustainable development by supporting green initiatives and promoting social responsibility.
This webinar will provide a platform for essential discussions regarding the future of financial services and the integration of emerging technologies, highlighting the challenges and opportunities they present.
Date: 12 December 2024 at 09.30 a.m. CET | 3:30 a.m. EST | 4:30 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 869 8129 1386
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Valentina Vasile
Institute of National Economy (INE), Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
Prof. Valentina Vasile holds a PhD in Economics and is a Full Professor and Senior Researcher. She is the Director of the Institute of National Economy at the Romanian Academy and teaches at the Nicolae Titulescu University of Bucharest. She is also a PhD Advisor. She has extensive experience as a researcher in economics, participating in national and international interdisciplinary research projects, with her primary research topics including labor economics, migration, human capital, digital economy and employment, and social policies. She has strong international cooperation experience as a coordinator and team member in interdisciplinary research projects financed by European funds, including Horizon 2020, the SEE Program, Black Sea Basin ENI CBC, CEDEFOP, ILO, Eurofound, and other sources such as projects funded by universities (e.g., Hitotsubashi University – Tokyo, Japan). She has published scientific papers and books indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and other international databases and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals.
Dr. Maria Palazzo
Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy;
Dr. Maria Palazzo (PhD, AFHEA, FHEA, MSc (Honours), MA, BA (Honours)) is an Associate Professor, Universitas Mercatorum (Italy) and a member of the “Sustainability Communication Centre” (SCC) (http://dsc.unisa.it/scc/). She was a former Lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire, School of Business (London, Luton, UK), a Visiting Scholar at the University of Granada (Granada, Spain), and a Visiting Lecturer at the Universidad del Norte, Escuela de Negocios (Barranquilla, Colombia). She has published articles in Tourism, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, Journal of Brand Management and in other academic outlets.
Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Folcut
Romanian American University, Bucharest, Romania;
Prof. Ovidiu Folcut earned his Doctorate in Economics in 2004 with a doctoral thesis entitled "Comparative competitive advantage on the example of Romania's relations with the European Union" and was also an MBA graduate (James Madison University, Virginia, USA, 2002). He currently works as a Full Professor at the Faculty of International Affairs within the URA. To date, he has published 11 books, over 80 articles in magazines with national and international ratings or in the volumes of prestigious conferences. He has participated as a member in 14 national and international research projects (FP7) and coordinated three national research projects. Ovidiu’s deep knowledge of the international business environment will be invaluable in addressing the competitive advantages of the project . His insights into sustainable development can help shape strategies that ensure a research project aligns with ethical and environmental considerations in digital era.
Prof. Dr. Otilia Manta
Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
Prof. Dr. Otilia Manta is a University Professor, Dr. habil., within the "FINANCE AND FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGIES (FINTECH)" Master's degree program under the Faculty of Finance and Accounting in the Romanian–American University (Disciplines: Trends in the FinTech industry, Digital technologies in insurance (InsurTech ), Green Finance).
Work Experience: Scientific Researcher of the Romanian Academy; Evaluation Expert and Rapporteur for EU Projects; Expert in investment projects, strengthening the capacities of educational institutions, sustainable development at the local and global levels; Founder of companies and NGOs, with over 20 years of experience in financial consulting and banking, EU project management, and scientific research in the multidisciplinary field; and international reviewer. Experience in more than 15,000 investment projects, of which 80% received EU funding; evaluation and rapporteur for more than 300 EU projects, 40 written books, and 400 published articles; Editor in journals for international scientists and Founder/Editor of national journals; reviewer of over 400 ISI Clarivate papers.
(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Otilia-Manta, CV, https://csde.academia.edu/otiliamanta/CurriculumVitae).
Research areas: digital financial technologies; international finance; international economy; European finance; management, entrepreneurship, and green transition.
Center for Financial and Monetary Research “Victor Slăvescu”, and CE-MONT, Romanian Academy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
finance; financial analysis; financial technology (FinTech); innovation sustainable development; banking; financial management EU studies; economy; sustainable development; new technology; collaborative economy and time banks; academic development; sustainable development education.
Dr. Giusy Sica
Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy;
Dr. Giusy Sica is Scientific Director of the "Policies for Cultural and Creative Enterprises" Hub at the Alto Osservatorio per le Politiche Europee and Co-leader and Coordinator of Officina Keller within the Horizon2020 VOJEXT project. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the L.U.P.T. Center at the University of Naples Federico II. As Head of Research, Innovation, and Development at Officina Keller, Sica is a member of the International Lab—Cultural Changes, Inequalities, and Sustainable Development scientific group. She coordinates European research reports for Colturazione and serves as a Policy Youth Leader for the European Parliament, sitting on the Jurors’ Board for the European Capital of Democracy. In 2024, she was selected as a member of the NATO Youth Summit. Her passion for women's empowerment led her to form the Re-Generation (Y)outh Think tank, an independent network of Italian women working to achieve political, social, economic, and cultural empowerment for young women through sustainability, cultural regeneration, and innovation. Sica has been recognized by Forbes Italia as one of the "100 Under 30 Leaders of the Future" in the category of "Social Entrepreneur". D-Repubblica included her among the 50 most influential women of the year, and F di Cairo listed her, alongside Kamala Harris, as one of the youngest social innovators of 2020. She is a TEDx speaker, trainer, evaluator, and speaker. She was also selected by the European Parliament's Youth Outreach Unit as one of the 50 most influential young European founders. Currently, she is a PhD Candidate in Sustainability and ESG Agenda at the Universitas Mercatorum with different publications. She is also the co-author of two books, "Sustainable Development and the Ecological Transition" and the report "Entrepreneurial Activation in Italy: GEM 2023 Report".
Prof. Dr. Shigeyuki Hamori
Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Yamato University, Japan, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, Japan;
Prof. Dr. Shigeyuki Hamori is a Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, Japan.
Interests: applied time series analysis; empirical finance; data science; international finance
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
On Thursday, 12 December 2024, MDPI and Fintech organized a webinar entitled "Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities".
Please find the closing summary by our Chair, Prof. PhD Otilia Manta, below.
On behalf of the organizing team, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us for the “Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities” webinar.
This event provided a unique platform with which to explore the transformative impact of financial technology and artificial intelligence on the global economy. It was an honor to host such an insightful discussion with our esteemed speakers from Romania, Italy, and Japan:
- Prof. PhD Valentina Vasile (Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy, Bucharest)—Opportunities for a Sustainable Economy.
- Dr. Maria Palazzo (Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy)—From Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility to Value Creation: An Analysis of FinTech Online Corporate Communication Strategies and Practices.
- Prof. PhD Ovidiu Folcut (Romanian American University, Bucharest, Romania)—Challenges in Implementing Financial Technologies.
- PhD Giusy Sica (Alto Osservatorio per le Politiche Europe, Italy)—Empowering Communities through Green FinTech: A Pathway to a Sustainable Future.
- Prof. Dr. Shigeyuki Hamori (Yamato University, Japan)—The Higher The Better? Hedging and Investment Strategies in Cryptocurrency Markets: Insights from Higher Moment Spillover.
- Prof. PhD habil. Otilia Manta (Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania)—Banking Transformation through FinTech and the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Payments.
The discussions showcased groundbreaking ideas, innovative strategies, and practical solutions aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities of building a sustainable economy in the FinTech landscape.
The event was organized as a pillar of support for the Special Issue “Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities”, with the Guest Editors Prof. PhD. Otilia Manta, Prof. PhD. Valentina Vasile, and Prof. PhD. Shigeyuki Hamori.
We warmly invite experts whose work aligns with the topics presented at the webinar to submit manuscripts for this Special Issue by May 20, 2025. Your contributions will play a key role in advancing academic discourse and fostering innovation in this dynamic field.
A special thanks to the editorial and administrative teams at Fintech and the logistical support provided by MDPI, whose collaboration and dedication made this event a resounding success.
Let us continue to connect, share knowledge, and work towards a more sustainable and innovative future in FinTech!
Thank you once again for your participation and support.
Prof. PhD Otilia Manta
Chair of the FinTechWebinar “Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities” and Guest Editor of the SI
The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required prior registration to attend. The full recording can be accessed below. In order to learn about future webinars, you can sign up for our newsletter by clicking “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Financial Technology and Strategic AI Integration in FinTech: Transforming Banking, Payments, and Building a Sustainable Economy—Challenges and Opportunities
Guest Editors: Dr. Otilia Manta, Prof. Dr. Valentina Vasile and Prof. Dr. Shigeyuki Hamori
Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: 20 May 2025