The Financial Education Congress of the Edufinet Project, promoted by Fundación Unicaja and Unicaja, has closed this Friday its eighth edition, which has had more than 450 registered participants (in person and online) and has so far exceeded 70,000 views through its website and social networking channels. This forum, which started last Wednesday, has been developed over three days at the Centro Cultural Fundación Unicaja de Málaga and has been followed simultaneously, via streaming, through its website (edufinetcongress.es).
Under the title 'Financial education and entrepreneurship: situation and challenges', this congress, sponsored by Funcas Educa, has hosted a total of 12 sessions and six colloquiums, which have involved nearly 40 speakers, including representatives of recognized prestige, both public and private institutions, academic, financial, economic, business or social.
The central theme of this edition was the importance of business and entrepreneurs in employment, the economy and society, as well as the key role played by financial education and its positive contribution to entrepreneurship and the business fabric. All this, through a careful and select program, covering a wide variety of topics, which have been addressed from different aspects related to the theme of the congress to other more general issues on financial education.
A select panel of speakers
In its panel of speakers, this year the congress has once again brought together leading representatives of financial organizations, including the Bank of Spain, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), Funcas, the Directorate General of Insurance and Pension Plans, as well as officials from Fundación Unicaja, Unicaja and the Edufinet Project's own work team.
Also attending this edition were professors and academics from various Spanish universities, including those of Cordoba (UCO), Granada (UGR), Malaga (UMA), the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas and UTAMED. On the business side, it is worth mentioning the participation of specialists from the Confederation of Business Owners of Malaga (CEM), the Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Young Entrepreneurs (AJE) and the Spanish Association of Accounting and Business Administration (AECA). The world of consulting has also been represented by firms such as Deloitte, EY Abogados, Garrigues or KPMG, joined by various institutions such as the Association of Economists of Malaga, the Econospérides Institute, Telefónica Tech, BIC Euronova, Smart City Cluster or the Women's Sports Observatory.
Throughout its eight editions, the Edufinet Congress has established itself as a national reference forum for the analysis and study of the relevance of financial education and its impact on society as a whole. Likewise, each year it becomes a meeting point for the exchange of knowledge among experts from different disciplines, who come together at this event with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of financial education programs and, therefore, of promoting the financial culture of society in general, as well as of certain groups in particular.
Leading forum on financial education
For three days, this congress has become a space for debate and analysis, which has served different specialists to provide their particular vision and approach to various issues of interest and current affairs related to financial education and its direct relationship and impact on entrepreneurship.
Specifically, during the first day, in addition to the inauguration, the relevance of financial education in business sustainability, its positive influence on entrepreneurship and its role as a strategic lever for entrepreneurship, business growth and economic dynamization were addressed. The topics also focused on entrepreneurship in people and groups with different abilities; on the revolution brought about by the irruption of fintech in modern finance, as well as on the keys to setting up a company, from the consideration of basic aspects such as taxation, regulation and human capital. The day also included the presentation of a real case of entrepreneurship.
On the second day, different presentations reviewed topics such as the importance of financial literacy and formal training as essential factors for growth and business decision-making; strategies for preventing cybercrime and in the field of financial digitization, as well as the challenges presented by AI for entrepreneurs, companies and the self-employed. On the other hand, different general issues on financial education were also raised, such as its new National Plan, its application in the world of sports and, in particular, its importance for proper management in the careers of professional athletes. This day also included another session with a real case of entrepreneurship.
Finally, during the last day, different issues related to the management of financial risks, opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship in a volatile economic context; management by the self-employed and pension products aimed at this group; the relationship between financial and mathematical knowledge, as well as the closing of the congress were discussed.
