On April 22, 2025, BEN Shenglin, Dean of ZIBS and President of the Zhejiang Digital Finance Association (ZAFT), led 4 student delegates from the ZIBS 2025 Young Leaders Program (YLP) and members of the ZAFT delegation to Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the global fintech summit Money 20/20. This visit marks a key milestone in ZIBS implementation of its international strategy, aiming to build a connected cross-border digital finance ecosystem in Southeast Asia while committing to providing more practical opportunities for students.
Money 20/20 is the world’s leading premium content, sales, and networking platform dedicated to the global money ecosystem, delivering a forward-looking and distinctive focus on cutting-edge trends in Payments, FinTech, and Financial Services. At the April 22 Money 20/20 main forum, BEN Shenglin, delivered a keynote speech titled “The Future of AI in Banking.” He reviewed the three-stage development of fintech, shared China’s innovative explorations and practical achievements in the field by integrating case studies of fintech and AI from Europe and the US, and engaged in insights exchanges with Southeast Asian financial experts to discuss the industry’s future direction. SHEN Zheru, a student in the International Master in Fine Arts (iMFA) program, highly valued such practical opportunities to attend global fintech summits: “Thanks to ZIBS for building this cross-border bridge, allowing me to draw inspiration from the collaborative narrative of this Asian fintech revolution as a ‘Young Leader’, and explore new possibilities for blending virtual and real in future digital interactive narratives and cross-cultural scenario design.”
ZIBS faculty actively explored diverse collaboration opportunities at the summit, transforming cutting-edge industry trends and high-quality development resources into “nourishment” for YLP students' growth and continuously empowering their career development paths. MA Yuru, an iMFA student, shared her insights: “This summit not only expanded my understanding of fintech but also sparked reflections on my career planning, and allowing me to feel the pulse of the industry and discovering new directions in fintech and cross-cultural innovation.” The ZIBS delegation also visited Huzhou Overseas Marketing Center (Thailand), where they held comprehensive and in-depth strategic discussions on development issues with General Manager WU Zijun and other officials.
During the summit, the ZIBS delegation held in-depth discussions with the Thai Fintech Association (TFA), with TFA President Chonladet Khemerattan and Aekkasit Diewwanit present. They explored topics including Sino-Thai fintech cooperation models and technology innovation sharing, laying the groundwork for promoting cross-border financial ecosystem integration.
The ZIBS delegation also held friendly talks with key officials from LianLian Global, a council member exhibitor at the summit. During the exchange, BEN congratulated its achievements in cross-border payments. LianLian Global’s representatives expressed hopes to deepen cooperation with ZIBS in talent training, industry-university-research projects, and jointly explore new fintech development pathways. They reached multiple collaboration agreements and took group photos, creating a valuable record for future partnerships. Elvin Halim, an International Master of Business Administration (iMBA) student shared opinion, “This experience offered valuable insights into the ever-evolving fintech, AI, and technology landscapes, emphasizing the importance of cross-industry and cross-border collaboration.”
The summit provided students with deep access to industry frontiers, where they not only learned about the latest global economic trends and expanded their international vision but also felt the strong momentum of transformation and innovation in fintech through practical exchanges. ZHAO Han, another iMBA student noted, “This summit made us deeply realize that only by embracing change and collaborating collectively can we build a safe, efficient, and sustainable future in the wave of digital finance.”
The Money 20/20 summit served as both a crucial practical experience for YLP students to broaden their global perspective and deepen industry understanding, and a vivid demonstration of ZIBS efforts to integrate industry and education while empowering youth development. Moving forward, ZIBS will continue to leverage its high-quality platforms and resources to support YLP participants in fulfilling their missions on the global business stage, injecting more youthful energy into fintech advancement and international cooperation.
