Foundations of Fintech

This new subject discusses how emerging technologies can be used to solve fundamental problems in finance

OVERVIEW

Technology has been transforming the financial industry, with the potential to disrupt traditional industry structure and practice. The subject is organised around a number of real‐world issues, in order to introduce fundamental underlying economic (including money, moral hazard, property rights and bank runs) and psychological (including engagement, trust and privacy) problems, and how technology could provide transformative solutions to those problems (e.g., big data, distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing). Cases will illustrate the core concepts. The emphasis is on foundations, so students will be able to apply the learned concepts in novel situations.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Identify fundamental economic and psychological issues behind real‐world problems in the financial sphere
  • Determine how major advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are applicable to finance problems
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of techniques in artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Demonstrate knowledge of major trends in Fintech
  • Distinguish disruption from mere computerisation
  • Acquire skills to solve practical financial problems
  • Learn to think outside the box
  • Critically evaluate new ideas and their implementation
  • Recognise opportunities to innovate

FURTHER INFORMATION

More information about the subject and how to enrol is available in the University of Melbourne Handbook entry.