30% of banking jobs threatened by AI & Blockchain

Said Business School, University of Oxford is launching a new online Fintech programme to help meet the challenges of a rapidly changing financial services industry

LONDON and CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry experts believe that between 2 million and 6 million jobs will be lost over the next decade due to disruptive financial technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain. Illustrating the potential, digital challenger banks such as Starling and Monzo can operate with 90% less headcount than traditional banks.  

At the same time, there are massive opportunities in the FinTech space, with thousands of new ventures in all segments of finance. Recognising these simultaneous threats and opportunities, Said Business School, University of Oxford today announced the launch of a new digital open enrolment programme on financial technology and innovation - the Oxford Fintech Programme. The programme helps executives to both launch new Fintech ventures and harness new technology to build better financial services firms.

The programme examines current and emerging technologies around money and payments, markets and consumer experience, and explores key ideas, principles, and frameworks around regtech, proptech and social inclusion. It covers topics ranging from blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to crowdfunding and quantum computing.  

The programme has been launched in collaboration with GetSmarter, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) a global leader in education technology.

'Technology and the mobile revolution are rapidly transforming financial markets, institutions, and business models. Drawing upon the expertise of leading academics and practitioners from Said Business School, our new digital Fintech programme, supported by GetSmarter, will provide entrepreneurs and executives with the insights and knowledge necessary to navigate this changing landscape, and adapt and progress in their careers,' says Peter Tufano, Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Finance at Said Business School.

Speaking on the partnership, Rob Paddock, Chief Academic Officer and Co-Founder of GetSmarter said this was further validation of their company's technology that ensures students get the same quality of education online as they would in person: 'We are honoured and proud to be working with Said Business School, University of Oxford, one of the world's oldest and most respected institutions, on this dynamic, new online Fintech open programme. Students will learn from internationally-recognised Said faculty, who bring hands-on industry experience and expertise to the curriculum and programme development, while utilising our Online Campus - a user-friendly, collaborative, people-mediated approach to online learning design.'

Designed as a hands-on, experiential programme, it is being run by Nir Vulkan, Associate Professor of Business Economics at OxfordSaid and David Shrier, business author and CEO of Distilled Analytics - both leading authorities on fintech. The programme also features academics from the UK and the US, and over 60 curated expert perspectives from banking and technology guest speakers such as Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Anne Boden, CEO at Starling Bank.

The programme will begin on 9th October, 2017, and run for 10 weeks in total.

For more information, please visit: https://oxford.getsmarter.com/oxford-fintech-online-short-course-coming-soon/

About Oxford University'sSaid Business School

Oxford University'sSaid Business School blends the best of new and old. Deeply embedded in an 800-year-old world-class university, the School strives to educate people for successful business careers. As a community, the School seeks to use business acumen and global networks to address long-horizon phenomena like demographic change, new technologies and natural resource scarcity. Said Business School is committed to delivering cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transforms individuals, organisations, business practice and society. Programmes developed by Oxford University'sSaid Business School consistently rank within the top 10 of both Bloomberg Businessweek's and Financial Times' Global business school rankings. 

For more information about Said Business School, visit the School's website, https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/. 

About GetSmarter

GetSmarter is home to the Online Campuses of some of the world's leading universities, including Harvard, University of Chicago, MIT, Cambridge University and the London School of Economics.  Their team of experienced online Learning Designers travel far and wide to work with esteemed University Faculty Members to transform their world-class education content into equally meaningful and engaging educational experiences, in the form of career-focused online short courses. Their people-driven approach to online learning - centered around the importance of human support - has proven itself as a highly effective educational model. This uniquely personalised approach has resulted in an aggregate completion rate consistently above 90% serving more than 50,000 students over almost a decade.

For more information about GetSmarter, visit their website, https://www.getsmarter.com/. 

About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)

2U partners with great colleges and universities to build what we believe is the world's best digital education. Their platform provides a comprehensive fusion of technology, services and data architecture to transform high-quality and rigorous campus-based universities into the best digital versions of themselves. 2U's No Back Row® approach allows qualified students and working professionals around the world to experience a first-rate university education and successful outcomes. 

To learn more, visit https://2u.com/.

Media Contacts:

Toby Roe
Said Business School, University of Oxford
proffice@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Mark O'Toole
mark@150bond.com
+353 877782513

Martin Hall, GetSmarter
martin.hall@getsmarter.com

SOURCE 2U, Inc.