Winner first edition Fin Competition announced
27 November 2020 - 4 min Reading time
A national campaign involving 346 students and 15 college campuses culminated today with the battle to become the best virtual bank in Belgium!
Artevelde University College, with Emma Maes, Mieke Vander Linden and Elias BelKadhi from team Finbank , today won the grand final of The Fin Competition. This first edition started on October 1, 2020 in 15 Belgian colleges. Over the past eight weeks, 346 students competed for a place in the grand final of The Fin Competition. One team per school was among the finalists: the ultimate battle took place today to become the best fictional bank in Belgium. The announcement of the winners could be followed live on www.fincompetition.be.
- Finbank has become the best fictional bank in Belgium
- The main prize is an interview with the Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem.
- The financial sector needs new and young talent.
- Febelfin Academy, the competence center for the financial sector, lends a helping hand by bringing higher education and business closer together.
- The Fin Competition gives students of Banking and Finance a broad insight into the functioning of a bank.
- A positive initiative to encourage young people and students during the second Covid wave
- Ambition to make this successful initiative an annual event
Today, 15 teams from as many colleges from all over Belgium competed for the prestigious Fin Competition trophy. From Ghent to Arlon and from Antwerp to Brussels, the finalists entered into an intellectual battle with each other to make their virtual bank the crown jewel of the Fin Competition through a combination of strategy, insight and decisions.
During an online live show of 45 exciting minutes, the winner was announced, together with experts and special guests from inside and outside the financial world. The prize was also unveiled by the Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem, who personally invited the winners for a tour of the world of the Ministry of Finance. The winners are thus offered a unique experience to gain inspiration for their future financial career.
The top 3:
- Artevelde University College with Finbank team
- UCLL Leuven with team PGV
- Bank Odisee with team MDF Corporation
The initiative was also very much appreciated by the other participating students. Young people are having a hard time in this second Covid wave. Many lectures are compulsory to follow from a distance, which means that students have to look creatively to experience the togetherness in a different way this academic year. Participating in a joint competition, which combines educational content and online gaming such as The Fin Competition, helps students to feel connected again.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, the universities of applied sciences have seen a steady decline in the number of students opting for the Bachelor's program in Banking and Finance. This causes legitimate concern from the universities of applied sciences that offer this specialization and from the financial sector, which needs these young people.
Febelfin Academy therefore has the ambition not to make it a one-off event, but an annual edition. She wants to attract talent back with the message that the financial sector is a future-oriented sector that invests in talent and development. The success of this initiative rests on the cooperation and interaction between the students, teachers and banks. A permanent dialogue is crucial to align the academic world and the business community.
This competition wants to show young people that learning is not only fun, but that learning should also be done everywhere and at all times. Because learning only really starts when you start working. You have to stay curious, be able to work together and deal with constant change. Opting for a job in the financial sector offers these opportunities.
