This course will provide the underpinning rationale for financial regulation and evaluate the post-Global Financial Crisis reforms in this light, noting adaptions that were required due to systemic nature of the crisis and the need to ensure private sector compliance. It then applies these rationales and lessons learned to current topics in Fintech and the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The objectives of this course are to: Identify the goals of financial regulation and understand the conditions under which regulation would make the financial system safer and more efficient and when it could be counterproductive. Identify the precursors and vulnerabilities that give rise to financial crisis, including historical contexts, technological developments, and private sector responses to previous regulation. Understand the main tools currently in use to mitigate stand-alone risks in individual financial institutions as well as stability risks to the financial system as a whole and evaluate their effectiveness, noting unintended consequences. Apply the basic rationales and goals for regulation to technological financial innovations (e.g., fintech) and how the post-2008 reforms have influenced the ongoing responses to the financial implications of the COVID pandemic. ---- “Understanding how financial regulation evolved following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, and how it shaped the financial industry, is vital for regulators and for the financial practitioners they regulate. This course provides the underpinnings for a critical assessment, challenging us to think through how regulation needs to adapt to today’s challenges.” -- Dr. Ben Bernanke, former chair of the Federal Reserve

This is the first in a series of courses on financial technology, also called Fintech. The course provides an overview of the most recent technological advances that are radically changing the financial services industry. These technological breakthroughs offer new ways for people to save, invest, borrow, and transact. The course is structured in three modules. In the first module, we will discuss the characteristics and trends in finance and how emerging technologies are changing the financial industry. We will begin by looking at how efficient (or inefficient) the financial sector is. We will then learn how firms in the financial industry create value by reducing unit cost, increasing transparency, increasing competition, creating network effects, leveraging economies of scales, and lowering asymmetric information. And finally we will introduce three main technologies that are disrupting the financial sector: blockchain technology, machine learning, and Internet-of-Things. In the second module, we will learn about the regulatory landscape that financial and fintech firms face. We will begin with an overview of the regulatory framework of the financial sector the United States with the understanding that the approach to regulating the financial sector is for the most part similar around the world. We will then proceed to look at recent initiatives on how to regulate fintech firms. Finally, we will conclude the module by looking at recent regulatory changes in Europe with respect to Open Banking, and at the pros and cons of regulatory sandboxes. In the last module, we will complete our overview of the fintech sector by reading several articles and reports on the fintech industry, and discuss a business case on Ant Financial. After you complete this course, you will have a broad understanding of the fintech landscape, and you will be ready to dive deep into the other courses of the fintech certificate. Financial professionals are often required or encouraged to continue their education to practice their profession. For some associations, this program may be used for Continuing Education Credits. Please check with your local or national organization if the program qualifies.

Demand is a simple yet challenging concept that is essential to understanding how markets function. In this economics course, you will gain a solid understanding of demand, its underlying principles, major determinants and how they are beneficial for individuals, decision makers inside the firm, and policy makers. During your time in this course, you will discover how managers can better understand the impact of pricing changes on units sold, revenue and the relationship between products in order to inform strategic planning. You will learn how many programs and policies are designed to change how individuals and businesses interact in the market and you will gain the tools to identify them. Models of consumer choice and demand will guide you in thinking about how individual incentives change and what the likely impact will be of those changes. All people respond to changing market conditions, but the type and magnitude of those responses can be better understood through the economic model of consumer demand. You will learn how business strategy can benefit from a strong appreciation of elasticity, determinants of demand and how consumers make decisions.

Economic development is a process of trial and error, innovation and experimentation, success and failure. Given the right institutions, some not unfavorable resource endowments, and a bit of luck, incomes can grow, health can improve, and human development can flourish; other times, things don’t turn out so well. Given the urgency of development challenges, it is imperative that we learn quickly from our mistakes and build robustly on our successes. The hope is that by understanding what kinds of innovations and policies “work” to improve the lives of the deprived and vulnerable, and how they work, we might be better placed to accelerate the process of development more generally. But how can policy makers and international development practitioners be sure they’re “making a difference?” This course was created collaboratively by Georgetown University and the World Bank's Strategic Impact Evaluation Fund with support from the Georgetown Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, Georgetown University Initiative of Innovation, Development and Evaluation (gui2de), and The Open Learning Campus of the World Bank Group.

Workers of the future will need new sets of skills to compete. Recent advances in technology are changing how we live, communicate and do business, disrupting traditional industries and redefining the employee-employer relationship. Thousands of routine and low-skill jobs will be eliminated by automation, A.I. and digital hyper-connectivity. However, these same advances present new opportunities, like: New job creation Increased productivity Improved delivery of public services This course emphasizes the urgency of developing human capital in meeting the challenges of the coming decades. Developing countries will need to take rapid action to invest in their people as innovation continues to accelerate. Themes in the course include: artificial intelligence, the gig economy, world of work, the future of work, labor market, policy makers, new technologies, digital economy, jobs of the future, machine learning, and labor force. Skills-based example: Participants will learn through Ted-like talks, podcasts, readings, interactive quizzes and scenario based exercises. They will also have an opportunity to share and dialogue with peers and experts including practitioners, government officials, academic and private sector. This course will introduce students to forward-thinking approaches that will build the new skill sets required in the 21st Century, including: critical analysis problem solving “soft skills” like teamwork and empathy

China’s economy is a unique amalgam of top-down planning and capitalism red in tooth and claw. A state-controlled system that is different to any market economy. This course will help you understand the complexities of China’s distinct development model and the impact it has on global markets. For financial professionals, policymakers and business professionals around the world, a sound grasp of the changes reshaping the Chinese economy and its markets is key to understanding both the investment opportunities and the risks that the country presents. Unbiased analysis, real-life examples and practical guidance will equip you with the analytical frameworks and tools to apply to your investment decisions, risk assessments or policymaking. You will learn directly from Enodo Economics’ team of experts, who together have over 250 years of experience focused on China’s economy, its politics and markets and its culture. We make use of specially shot online teaching videos that are produced to a high professional standard. The material, carefully tailored to the content of each course, includes interviews with relevant figures whose personal stories bring to life the concepts being taught. Imaginative visual aids and animation are designed to enhance the learning experience – and make it fun.

Our present system of global capitalism is flawed. While it has produced immense wealth and economic growth in nearly all regions of the world, it has also prioritized profits over people and harmful consumption practices over the needs of our planet. Sustainable development must bring about a new world order to replace the vices of global capitalism, ensuring development, human wellbeing, and environmental security. This course presents Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals as the necessary successor to laissez faire-style capitalism, and emphasizes the urgency of embracing sustainable development objectives to transform our economy into a more reactive, efficient, inclusive, and environmentally-conscious system. This 8-week massive open online course (MOOC) provides an in-depth look at the shortcomings of our current and past global economies, and shows why and how sustainable development has become the universally-prioritized agenda for the future of our world. The topics covered range from market economics to education, gender equality, international trade, financing, and more. This course is for: Policy professionals who want to understand frameworks for SDG planning Development practitioners seeking information on goals-based development Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, and other key concepts related to the SDGs

National economies have grown substantially since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century yet people have not necessarily seen an increase in opportunities to find decent work or earn a decent income. In fact, in some places, the increased productivity and rising profits associated with automation have directly impacted the availability of decent jobs. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015, and more than 600 million new jobs are needed by 2030 just to keep pace with the growth of the working-age population. We also need to improve working conditions for the 780 million women and men who are employed but not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. In addressing these core issues we will not only see increasing decent work opportunities but also more robust, inclusive and poverty-reducing growth. This course explores the past and future of work in the context of the SDGs, particularly SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. It examines the state of income and employment around the world, barriers to employment, policies to promote economic opportunity, and the future of work in our rapidly changing world. Encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation are key to achieving the SDGs, as are effective measures to eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. With these targets in mind, the world can achieve full and productive employment and decent work, for all women and men, by 2030. This seven-module massive open online course (MOOC) provides an in-depth look at the issues of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The topics covered include structural shifts in economies and work; informality, gender and child labor, the modern welfare state; the future of work, and more. The course concludes with a special module by the ILO on realizing decent work for all and achieving SDG 8. This course is for: Policy professionals who want to understand frameworks for SDG planning Development practitioners seeking knowledge on goals-based development Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, and other key concepts related to the SDGs

FinTech has started a global revolution in the financial services industry, and the transformation will only increase in coming years. There are many ways in which FinTech can improve the lives of people around the world; however, those same technologies can also be used to enslave, coerce, track, and control people. Accordingly, it is appropriate and necessary to consider the implications of the introduction of these technologies so that they are utilized properly, regulated sufficiently, and their adoption does not come at the expense of societal growth. This 6-week online coursecovers 6 modules, representing the full spectrum of finance, technology, and the introduction of FinTech solutions globally. We will ask questions that are not often asked or addressed when new technologies are adopted. Why should we adopt FinTech solutions, and what are the best ways to introduce disruptive technologies? How does blockchain technology change the way we provide financial services, and how should blockchain technology be governed? Is FinTech creating risks in cybersecurity and how can technology help us prevent financial crimes? As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developed and adopted, will human biases and prejudices be built into such mechanisms? And at a larger scope, should FinTech lead to a decentralized, democratized system of finance, or will existing institutions adopt FinTech strategies to cement their existing hold on the financial markets? Through discussing and attempting to answer these questions, you will understand better how the introduction of these technologies can benefit or harm society. And through considering the proper application or introduction of such technologies, you will learn to make better decisions as an individual and organization when facing the question: is FinTech our savior or a villain?

Over the past couple of years, the Chinese government has finally started to open China’s financial system and its equity and bond markets to the outside world. Onshore assets are now part of the main global and emerging market indices. But most investors openly admit they are putting money to work in a market they mistrust and do not understand well enough. In this course you will learn how China’s financial markets truly work. You will see how its state-owned commercial banks control the flow of domestic savings and how Chinese companies became the global leader in mobile payments. You will understand the nature of the Chinese stock market and the Chinese bond market, how Chinese investors trade and what the driving forces of these markets are. Foreign investors will learn how to recognise investment opportunities and guard against the idiosyncratic risks. You will understand the role of the State Council, the People’s Bank of China – its central bank, and the Ministry of Finance – its Treasury, in setting monetary policy, interest and foreign exchange rates and supervising China’s banking system and financial institutions. Unbiased analysis, real-life examples and practical guidance will equip you with the analytical frameworks and tools to apply to your investment decisions, risk assessments or policymaking. You will learn directly from Enodo Economics’ team of experts, who together have over 250 years of experience focused on China’s economy, its politics and markets and its culture. We make use of our own bespoke online teaching videos that are produced to a high professional standard. The material, carefully tailored to bring to life the content of each course, includes interviews with relevant figures whose personal stories make real the concepts being taught. Imaginative visual aids and animation are designed to enhance the learning experience – and make it fun.