2.0

credits

Average Course Rating

There are an estimated 1.4 billion people around the world that are left out of the formal financial system. The financially excluded, many of whom are low-income, do not have access to the products they need to live financially stable lives and to take advantage of opportunities. They may not have access to a safe savings account, credit to build their business, or insurance in the case of a health emergency. The delivery of quality financial services (loans, savings, insurance, money transfers) at affordable costs to all segments of society is, accordingly, an important policy goal in closing the income gap and improving quality of life. This is a seminar style course that provides an introduction to financial inclusion with a deeper dive into key questions that are driving the future of how we create more equitable financial systems for the poor. We will hear from guest lecturers who are considered experts at the top of their fields and who bring first-hand experience in a range of topics -- from designing digital products to serve low-income customers at scale, creating enabling regulations by policy makers, and assessing investment opportunities from a venture capital perspective, to evaluating future careers in financial inclusion. There is one final project in the course, in which student groups will present a set of policy recommendations to advance financial inclusion in a specific country market, informed by a set of core practical and ethical questions related to the industry.