Unicaja and the University of Granada (UGR) have signed an agreement to create the UGR-Unicaja Chair in Responsible AI in Finance, which aims to promote research, knowledge generation and transfer in the field of responsible and sustainable artificial intelligence applied to the financial sector.
The chair, which is being developed within the framework of the close collaboration that both institutions have maintained for years, will promote activities aimed at bringing responsible AI closer to the university community, encouraging specialised training and supporting the development of innovative projects driven by students.
Among the planned initiatives are the organisation of seminars, conferences and workshops, the publication of studies, the awarding of scholarships and grants, and collaboration in postgraduate programmes and external internships.
Therefore, any student or researcher involved in artificial intelligence and finance will be able to benefit from the chair through training activities, scholarships, research projects or publications carried out between both parties.
The agreement, signed by Unicaja’s CEO Isidro Rubiales and UGR’s Rector Pedro Mercado, also provides for the creation of a Joint Committee to monitor and develop the programme.
The CEO of Unicaja highlighted the importance of adopting responsible artificial intelligence in all sectors, including finance, as "its application will contribute to improving the customer experience and strengthening confidence in banking institutions".
Rubiales stressed that, for Unicaja, "responsible artificial intelligence plays a key role in generating added value both in our relationship with our customers and in the work of our staff".
"We work with people in mind, who are at the centre of our activity," he said, adding that "the future of finance lies in integrating innovation and ethics, creating solutions that are more secure, transparent and oriented towards the well-being of society". For this reason, the financial institution is strengthening its collaboration with the University of Granada, "an institution with a solid research track record and a firm commitment to innovation and social progress," said the CEO of Unicaja.
For his part, the rector of the University of Granada stated that "the creation of the UGR-Unicaja Chair in Responsible AI in Finance consolidates our close collaboration with Unicaja, placing the UGR at the forefront of applied research in a sector as crucial as finance."
"With it, we are not only promoting ethical and sustainable knowledge of artificial intelligence, but also offering our students and researchers an exceptional platform for specialised training, scholarships and innovative projects, which are key to their professional future and to the socio-economic development of our society," said Mercado.
The chair will be directed by Professors Francisco Herrera and Enrique Herrera, from the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the UGR. The Joint Committee will be made up of six people: from Unicaja, the Director General of Transformation, Severino J. Méndez; the Director General of People, Organisation and Legal Affairs, Juan Medina; and the Director of Artificial Intelligence, Javier Porras; and, from the UGR, the Director of Transfer and Innovation, Carlos Sampedro; Pedro Ángel Castillo, Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics; and Manuel Jesús Cobo, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.
The creation of this chair underscores the commitment to promoting ethical, legal and secure AI in the field of finance, ensuring its compliance with European Union guidelines, so as to guarantee aspects such as privacy, transparency and non-discrimination. In short, to increase the benefits for society and minimise any type of risk.
Unicaja: supporting innovation and young people
This agreement reflects Unicaja's commitment to innovation, training and the integration of young people into the labour market. In fact, it maintains extensive collaboration with academic institutions, such as the UGR, and has a specific offer for students, such as tuition financing, as part of its comprehensive value proposition of services (financial and non-financial) called 'This is Uni', designed to help young people between the ages of 18 and 27 manage their financial lives in a simple, accessible way that is tailored to their needs.
The launch of this chair is also part of Unicaja's transformation strategy, which, among other aspects, relies on artificial intelligence as a lever to accelerate the creation of a more accessible, personalised and people-centred bank. All this is aimed at continuing to improve the customer and staff experience and promoting digitalisation and financial inclusion in a responsible manner.
About the University of Granada
The UGR, founded in 1531, has four university campuses, in addition to the 'Campus Centro', which integrates all the spaces distributed throughout the historic centre of the city. It also has two other campuses in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
More than 56,800 undergraduate and postgraduate students study at the University of Granada, where more than 3,680 professors teach.
