The Edufinet Project on financial education, promoted by Fundación Unicaja and Unicaja, has closed this Friday, 15 November, the seventh edition of its Financial Education Congress, which has so far exceeded 12,000 views through its website and social networks. This year it has been developed only online (via streaming and deferred in www.edufinetcongress.es) as a result of the weather alert activated these days by heavy rainfall in Malaga, the city where the meeting has taken place.
Under the title 'Financial Education and Cybersecurity: keys for the new digital era', this congress, which has been sponsored by Funcas Educa, has hosted, from last Wednesday, 13 November, until Friday, a total of 13 sessions and five colloquiums. During these three days, nearly 40 speakers, including representatives of both public and private institutions, academic, financial, technological and security, economic, business and social fields.
The central axis around which this edition has revolved is the key role played by financial education and cybersecurity as key elements to face the challenges and opportunities posed by the current context of innovation and technological transformation in which we live, both in society and in the field of economy and finance.
All this, in a broad and carefully designed program, covering a wide range of topics, which aims to focus on the challenges facing financial education in this context of increasing digitization, as well as its impact both socially, economically and financially. It also offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the risks and advantages of this new scenario for citizens, with special attention to their security in the online environment and the prevention of fraud and cyber threats.
It also served once again this year as a meeting and knowledge exchange point for experts from various disciplines to identify and share trends and points of interest, in order to enhance the effectiveness of financial education programs and, therefore, to promote the financial and digital literacy of society in general, as well as of certain groups in particular.
With regard to the speakers at this edition, this congress was attended by representatives of financial organizations, including the European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank of Spain, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), CECA, or FinResp; as well as heads of technological and cybersecurity organizations such as INCIBE, Google, the National Police, TeachLab or Prosegur Cash.
Speakers from Spanish and foreign universities, such as those of Malaga (UMA), Cordoba (UCO), Huelva (UHU), the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the National University of Distance Education (UNED) and the National University of Mar de Plata in Argentina, also participated. They have also been joined by entities such as Analistas Económicos de Andalucía, IEAF (Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts) or the Association of Economists of Malaga, and institutions such as CEM (Confederation of Businessowners of Malaga), the Academy of Social Sciences and the Environment of Andalusia, SECOT or Puntos Vuela.
Financial education, digital economy and cybersecurity
Throughout these three days, several current topics related to financial education, the digital environment and economy or cybersecurity have been discussed, as well as others of a more general nature, linked to the actions developed in the field of financial education (the different groups to which they are addressed, their scope or areas) and the economic context, among other aspects.
Specifically, during the first day, the evolution and situation of financial education in the present century was analyzed, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Edufinet Project next year; the current situation of financial culture and behavior and the influence of cognitive biases in financial decisions; cybersecurity and finance, from the perspective of financial education as an element of digital strength, and the focus on financial education, cybersecurity and digitization of the elderly. In addition, there has been a review of financial education and inclusion in means of payment, the era of the digital economy and its relationship with fraud and cybersecurity, and online games and their impact on the financial education of young people.
The second session addressed trends and challenges in the distribution of wealth; the keys to safe and responsible online consumption; the importance of training citizens in cybersecurity; the Spanish economy and its future evolution in a global context of uncertainty, and the need to regulate sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI). Also the contribution of financial education at an early age, the design of training programs in this area and the role of the family, and the new digital currencies promoted by Central Banks (CBDC) were discussed.
Finally, the last day focused on debate and reflection on topics such as persuasion in digital finance; the importance of financial education for the sports community; the expansion of AI and its ethics; and the challenges posed by the digital era for entrepreneurship.
