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Morocco World
23-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Hosts International Conference to Rethink Finance and Innovation
Academics and business leaders gather in Fez this week for the first International Conference on Management, Innovation, and Finance (MIF 2025), a new initiative to connect the dots between research and real-world economic shifts. The two-day event, running from April 23 to 24, is co-organised by the Private University of Fez and Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University. It brings together finance professors, digital experts, and young researchers to discuss issues ranging from fintech to climate change and finance. Safae Ismaili, a lecturer and researcher specialising in finance, frames the conference as a response to Morocco's evolving economic landscape. 'MIF 2025 is a platform for dialogue, critical thinking, and collective construction around the major economic challenges of our time,' she told Morocco World News (MWN). Safae Ismaili, a lecturer and researcher specialising in finance She stressed the need to bridge theory and practice, explaining: 'The ambition behind this conference is quite clear: to create a genuine link between academic research and real-world application, between universities and businesses, between ideas and concrete action. Because yes, it's good to think—but it's better to think to transform.' Read also: Entrepreneurial Growth in Morocco: A Decade After the Global Entrepreneurship Summit Pascal Nguyen, a professor of finance at the University of Montpellier and one of the event's keynote speakers, echoed that sentiment. 'I'm genuinely impressed by the quality of the organisation and the calibre of the speakers I've heard this morning. There's an abundance of highly qualified young people… I feel Morocco has a very bright future,' he told MWN. Nguyen, who also co-leads a programme on green finance, spoke about the dangers of corporate short-sightedness. 'The question is: why do firms often make the wrong choices? Why do they pursue investments and decisions that are unsustainable and trigger crises—whether social, financial, or economic?' The event aimed to tackle such questions head-on, with panels exploring everything from digital transformation to low-carbon policy. As Morocco pushes to bring its economy up to date and attract green investment, MIF 2025 may prove a timely meeting of minds. 'Morocco is in motion,' said Dr Ismaili. Tags: economyfinanceInnovationMoroccoPrivate University of Fez
Morocco World
21-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
UPF Brings Together Experts to Rethink Management and Finance
Rabat – The Private University of Fez (UPF) has announced that it will bring together academics, experts, and professionals from around the world for the first edition of its International Conference on Management, Innovation, and Finance, MIF25. The two-day event will take place on April 23 and 24 at the university's Professor Rachid Yazami Conference Center. Jointly organized with the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, the conference will explore how organizations, economies, and institutions respond to a rapidly shifting world shaped by digital acceleration and environmental pressure. MIF25 seeks more than scholarly analysis. It opens a space for critical dialogue, fresh ideas, and concrete experience around what it means to lead, innovate, and manage responsibly today. Rethinking innovation and responsibility The conference builds on an interdisciplinary approach, with seven core themes. Each reflects a challenge, technological, economic, or ecological, that demands serious attention from leaders and researchers alike. One axis looks at how sustainable innovation reshapes entrepreneurship in a digital context. Startups no longer compete only on creativity, but on their capacity to adopt responsible models in increasingly data-driven environments. Another theme focuses on management styles and leadership. Agile methods now emerge as essential tools, not buzzwords, for steering institutions through change. Speakers will share lessons from real-life transitions, what worked, what failed, and what remains uncertain. Supply chains also enter the spotlight. As the industry moves toward automation and AI-powered logistics, the question of sustainability grows more urgent. Sessions will explore how smart technologies can help reduce carbon emissions and support circular economy strategies. Finance, cities, and the digital consumer MIF25 places finance at the center of broader societal shifts. Panels will examine how green bonds, ethical investments, and decentralized tools like blockchain can contribute to more equitable systems. There will also be debate around ESG integration and the risks of digital disruption in finance. Urban development features prominently as well. With smart cities moving from concept to reality, speakers will discuss how public-private partnerships shape sustainable infrastructures and how policies can encourage more inclusive, eco-conscious urban growth. Digital marketing rounds out the list of topics. In an age where every click leaves a trace, experts will reflect on the power and the limits of branding, influence, and consumer engagement through online platforms. MIF25 seeks to do more than observe, UPF promised in its statement. It invites participants to shape new ways of thinking about innovation, finance, and governance. Whether the focus is on a startup, a city, or an academic institution, it stressed, the common thread remains how to build models that respond to today's challenges without compromising tomorrow. Tags: Morocco educationMorocco UPFUPFUPF Fez
Times of Oman
21-02-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Financial institutions must invest in digital infrastructure to stay competitive: RBI Deputy Governor
Mumbai: Financial institutions must invest in digital infrastructure and adopt a data-driven, customer-centric approach to remain competitive in the evolving financial landscape, according to Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), M Rajeshwar Rao. Addressing the Second Annual Conference on Macroeconomics, Banking, and Finance, jointly organized by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in Mumbai, Rao emphasized the importance of balancing innovation with risk management. "To remain competitive, financial institutions must invest in digital infrastructure, and pivot to a customer-centric, data-driven approach in this new landscape," Rao said. He highlighted that while technological advancements have brought immense benefits, financial institutions must be cautious about their dependence on third-party technology providers. Ensuring regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and customer protection should remain top priorities, he added. "The challenge is ensuring a balanced and resilient financial ecosystem for the future. The key is to harness the benefits while managing the risks," Rao said. Rao also pointed out that one of the most significant changes in modern finance has been the shift from cash-based and paper-driven transactions to a seamless, technology-driven system. India has played a leading role in this transformation through innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the Account Aggregator (AA) framework, and the recently launched Unified Lending Interface (ULI). "These stand among the most transformative advancements of our times. This growing significance is reflected in how both financial institutions and regulators are increasingly engaging with AI-related topics," he said. Looking ahead, Rao stressed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will play a key role in the next phase of financial transformation. He noted that these technologies are already reshaping banking and financial services, with their importance growing significantly in recent years. He also stated that a study of the annual reports of Scheduled Commercial Banks shows a sharp increase in references to AI and its applications. This reflects the growing focus of financial institutions on leveraging AI-driven solutions. With the rapid advancement of digital finance, institutions must continuously evolve, ensuring that they harness the benefits of technology while maintaining security and regulatory compliance.
