WeBank Launches Fintech Research Centre with Leading Singaporean University

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Tencent’s online lending vehicle WeBank is teaming up with one of Asia’s leading universities to establish a fintech research centre in Singapore.

WeBank and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University jointly announced on 31 January that they would launch a new fintech research centre with the goal of “supporting Banking 4.0 [which] is capable of providing personalised services to customers at any time or place.”

The fintech research centre will focus on research into the blockchain, the Internet of Things and machine learning, as well as the development of new forms of digital financial services, in order to strengthen the services capability of banks.

Founded in 1981 Nanyang Technological University is one of Singapore’s two leading tertiary institutions, and was ranked 51st amongst the world’s best universities by Times Higher Education in 2018.

Shenzhen-headquartered WeBank was launched in December 2014 by Chinese internet giant Tencent, and is China’s first privately operated internet bank.