From December 16-18, the “2023 Shenzhen FinTechathon—Xili Lake Fintech University Student Challenge” (hereinafter referred to as the Competition) concluded successfully at Shenzhen University, under the strategic guidance of the Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, the People’s Government of Fuyuan District, and the People’s Government of Nanshan District. The event was co-organized by Shenzhen Tianxue, WeBank, and the Shenzhen Xiangmihu International Fintech Research Institute, with a grand award ceremony following the Competition. Key attendees included Mr Zhu Xindong, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau; Mr Ma Zhitao, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank; and Mr Liu Haishan, Party Secretary of Shenzhen University WeBank Institute of FinTech.
As part of the Shenzhen Fintech Festival, this Competition has been successfully held for five years. By leveraging resources, talent, technology, and collaborative innovation, it has promoted deeper integration of industry, academia, and research, receiving wide attention and recognition. This year’s Competition lasted three months, attracting over 1,500 students across more than 300 teams. Over 670 students from top Chinese universities participated, and more than 30 overseas universities joined the Competition. After fierce Competition, the event awarded a total prize pool of 690,000 yuan and blockchain math certificates to the top teams in three tracks: Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and Product Management.
Notably, the digital certificate awarded to winners is based on WeBank’s blockchain technology, utilizing the domestically developed secure, controllable open-source platform FISCOBCOS as the underlying blockchain. The certificate ensures that the award information is tamper-proof and traceable and that the data source is trustworthy. Winners can view and download their digital certificates at any time, and academic institutions or employers can quickly verify the authenticity of the certificates through QR codes, achieving trusted verification and efficient communication.
At the award ceremony, Mr. Zhu Xindong, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, stated, “This competition adheres to the concept of applying what is learned and is of great significance in exploring the future development prospects of fintech, strengthening the cultivation of emerging fintech talent, and creating a new pattern of deep integration between industry, academia, and research.”
Mr. Zhu Xindong, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau
Mr Liu Haishan, Party Secretary of Shenzhen University WeBank Institute of FinTech, said, “By hosting the competition in collaboration with WeBank, we have attracted talents from both domestic and abroad to actively explore the technological applications and innovations in the fintech field, providing opportunities to offer more valuable technical solutions to the industry.”
Speech by Liu Haishan, Party Secretary of Shenzhen University WeBank Institute of FinTech
Speech by Ma Zhitao, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank: “This Competition is conducive to discovering and nurturing fintech talent, providing a talent pool to support the development of Shenzhen as a hub for fintech. Furthermore, as a digital bank driven by technology, WeBank will continue to adopt an open attitude and take multiple measures to promote the development and application of fintech.”
Speech by Ma Zhitao, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank
As a joint initiator and organizer of the Competition, Shenzhen University and WeBank have engaged in deep and long-term cooperation in innovative talent cultivation and promoting fintech development.
WeBank, China’s first digital bank, has continued to focus on fintech, conducting research and development in key technological fields such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data. The bank has established the world’s first fully independent and controllable distributed core system that supports hundreds of millions of users and high-concurrency transactions. It became the first domestic commercial bank to receive national certification as a high-tech enterprise. Furthermore, WeBank has always prioritized introducing and cultivating fintech talent, maintaining a technology staff ratio of over 50% since its establishment. Its annual R&D expenditures account for approximately 10% of operating income, laying a solid foundation for its efforts in promoting inclusive finance and serving the development of the real economy.
In 2019, Shenzhen University and WeBank jointly established the nation’s first fintech school—Shenzhen University WeBank Institute of FinTech. This institute is an international, high-level, research-oriented institution dedicated to cultivating academically proficient, practically skilled, and innovative fintech talent for constructing the “Dual Zones” (Shenzhen and Hong Kong). It offers full-time undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, focusing on various fintech specialities, such as financial big data technology applications, blockchain finance, insurtech, and regtech, to meet the demand for professional and technical talent in the fintech industry’s various sectors.
