UNS — The Center for Excellence (PUI) Center for Fintech and Banking Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS Fintech Center) held The Final Conference of Erasmus+ CBHE OPTBANK and The 2021 Sebelas Maret International Conference in Digital Economy (SMICDE). This international conference was held online through the Zoom Cloud Meeting platform on 7–9 September 2021 to discuss the digital economy.
The conference was held by PUI UNS Fintech Center in collaboration with the Erasmus+ Programme and Capacity Building of Higher Education (CBHE) Optimizing Research and Doctoral Programs in Banking and Finance in Indonesian Universities (OPTBANK) Project. OPTBANK Project in the European Commission project to improve research capacity in Indonesian universities in banking and finance. This program is expected to benefit researchers, educators in universities, as well as related economic professions.
The conference was attended by the Rector of UNS, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho, and the UNS executive board. The Rector warmly welcomed the conference and stated that the OPTBANK project would not only improve researches in fintech but also developing the financial system in general. “For example, for bakers and policymakers. This project also improves the quality of fintech education in UNS,” Prof. Jamal mentioned at the opening ceremony on Tuesday (7/9/2021).
The OPTBANK project coordinator, Prof. Amine Tarazi, supported the notion and stated that this project’s vital point is how the research findings are disseminated and to reach wider people and create a wider impact. “This project is not only about how to improve our researches but also on how to disseminate and work with the wider community. This is what is vital in this project,” Prof. Amine stated.
The conference was participated by 60 presenters divided into several sessions. Besides presentations from researchers, the conference also has a discussion session for the junior and senior faculty members who participated in the OPTBANK program.
The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Financial Service Authority (OJK), Prof. Wimboh Santoso, also attended the event and delivered the keynote speech. Prof. Winboh stated that the topic raised at the conference is very relevant to the current condition.
“We are experiencing a pandemic. This discussion theme is very relevant to this condition. The pandemic changed everything, including the economic sectors. The digital economy grew rapidly due to this condition,” Prof. Wimboh stated.
Therefore, OJK pushed the development of the digital economy in the community. Indonesia is also trying to implement the green economy principles in making decisions in the economic policies. Humas UNS
Reporter: Ida Fitriyah
Editor: Dwi Hastuti