MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Singapore Management University, MasterCard Partner Academic Program on Social, Financial Inclusion

MasterCard, a US-based payments and technology company, recently formed a partnership with Singapore Management University (SMU) to establish an academic program on “Social and Financial Inclusion”[1]. Students attending the two-year program will aim to generate research on “social entrepreneurship, innovation and financial inclusion”[1]. The program will include unspecified amount of funding for this student research, and the establishment of the “MasterCard Professorship of Social Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion”[1].

The geographical coverage of the program will primarily focus on Southeast and South Asia. It is expected that the results of the program’s research projects will be presented at the “MasterCard-SMU Forum on social inclusion and economic value creation”[1]. The first iteration of this annual event is planned to be convened in mid-2016.

As of June 2015, MasterCard reported total assets of USD 15.3 billion and 2.2 billion payment cards in circulation. Established in 2000, SMU has approximately 8,000 students as of 2015.

By Alíz Crowley, Research Associate

About Singapore Management University (SMU)

Singapore Management University (SMU) is an institution of higher education in Singapore. The university was established in 2000, and it has schools that specialize on Accounting, Business, Economics, Information Systems, Law and Social Sciences. The university offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs for approximately 8,000 students as of 2015. Also as of 2015, it is establishing a program on social and financial inclusion in partnership with US-based payments firm MasterCard.

About MasterCard

Headquartered in the US city of Purchase, New York, MasterCard is a payments and technology company that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants and governments in approximately 210 countries and territories. As of June 2015, MasterCard reported total assets of USD 15.3 billion and 2.2 billion payment cards in circulation.

Sources and Additional Resources:

[1] Singapore Management University, SMU News, Mastercard and SMU Establish New Social and Financial Inclusion Programme

[2] Singapore Management University (SMU), About us

MicroCapital Universe Profile: MasterCard

MicroCapital Universe Profile: Singapore Management University (SMU)

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