QU awarded international FinTech grant success

The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) has awarded a team of international researchers from Qatar University (QU), the University of Hong Kong, the University of New South Wales and Curtin University with over QR 2mn over three years to help develop Qatar’s FinTech capacity. 

The project will support efforts to diversify the Qatari economy and build a future-ready financial sector that will elevate Qatar to the position of a regional FinTech and RegTech hub. The award was made within the 11th cycle of the QNRF’s flagship grant scheme, the National Priorities Research Programme. The project is entitled: ‘FinTech and RegTech: Building a resilient, inclusive and competitive legal and regulatory framework for 21st century finance in Qatar’ The project is to run until June 1, 2022. The research team includes some of the most prominent and well-respected international scholars and researchers in the FinTech and RegTech space. The international team is comprised of Prof Douglas W Arner, Kerry Holdings Professor in Law, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Prof Ross Buckley, King & Wood Mallesons Professor of Disruptive Innovation, Scientia Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia; Dr Andrew Dahdal, section head, Law and Policy (Economic Diversification) Centre for Law and Development, College of Law, Qatar University, Qatar; Dr Jon Truby, director, Centre for Law and Development, College of Law, Qatar University, Qatar and Prof Gordon Walker, adjunct professor, Curtin University, Australia. Lead Principal Investigator for the project, Dr Andrew Dahdal, said: “It is a great benefit to Qatar to have such a renowned group of eminent experts focusing their efforts on the Qatari financial sector. In recent years, Qatari policy makers have committed to achieving the goals outlined in Qatar Vision 2030 including building human capital and a knowledge based diversified economy. This project will help realise those commitments.”The grant is also supported by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority, a key stakeholder in building Qatar’s future as an important regional FinTech player.