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The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Engineering FinTech Applied Research Academy (CEFAR) and Manulife (International) Limited (Manulife) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to step up efforts to cultivate financial technology (fintech) talent and strengthen the University’s links with corporations.

The MOU marks a collaboration between the academic and business sectors to foster thought leadership and nurture future generations of business and finance leaders. Under the MOU, Manulife will offer scholarships to outstanding fintech students nominated by CEFAR annually. As part of this strengthened cooperation between academia and industry, CUHK fintech students will be able to strengthen their knowledge about the latest market trends through different speaking opportunities and events. In addition, Manulife is sponsoring industrial projects for CUHK fintech students in 2022-23 that enable students to gain first-hand business experience.

The MOU was signed by Professor Martin D F Wong, Dean of CUHK’s Faculty of Engineering, and Mr Anthony Buchanan, Chief Information Officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau.

Professor Martin Wong remarked, “We are delighted and honoured to have the support of Manulife to cultivate future fintech leaders for the insurance sector. CEFAR has successfully undertaken many applied research projects and provided internship opportunities for our students, enabling them to solve real-life problems by applying the knowledge and skills they have learnt in class. The collaboration with Manulife marks another milestone for CEFAR as we further expand our network and welcome Manulife, a leader in its industry, as our strategic partner. This elevates our efforts to develop a larger pool of fintech talents to meet the needs of Hong Kong and the broader Greater Bay Area.”

Mr Anthony Buchanan added, “Investing in talent is the first step towards making an organisation future-ready. We are honoured to have this opportunity to uplift high-calibre fintech talent within Hong Kong and the broader Greater Bay Area. As the first insurance company in Hong Kong to take part in this meaningful collaboration with CUHK, it also signifies our commitment to innovation in fintech as a means to deliver the most suitable solutions for our customers. We are excited about the progress we can make to continue our best to make people’s life every day better.”