Leading House MENA Project
AI in Digital Finance | Connect & Collaborate Grant CCG-2025-05
Project Team
The Leading House MENA Program
The Leading House MENA is part of Switzerland's bilateral research cooperation strategy, managed by HES-SO (Haute Ecole Specialisee de Suisse Occidentale) and authorized by SERI (Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation). Its purpose is to strengthen research collaboration between Switzerland and the MENA region by supporting communication, dissemination, and knowledge exchange across all disciplines.
Learn more at HES-SO Leading House MENA →
Eligible MENA Countries:
Connect & Collaborate Grants (CCG)
Connect & Collaborate Grants are a flexible funding instrument within the Leading House framework, dedicated to communication and dissemination initiatives. They enhance the visibility, societal relevance, and long-term impact of Swiss-MENA research. Eligible activities include scientific publications, events, digital media, and communication materials. The grants are open to Swiss federal and cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, and public research institutions, provided they have an academic partner in a MENA-eligible country.
Project Overview
This three-day academic workshop takes place at the American University of Sharjah from April 23 to 25, 2026, focusing on AI applications for digital finance where Swiss precision meets MENA market dynamism. Organized as a partnership between FHGR (Switzerland) and AUS (UAE), the event targets 80-100 participants (60% academic, 40% industry). It builds on a 7-year collaboration between Prof. Joerg Osterrieder and Prof. Stephen Chan that has yielded 7 joint publications with 550+ citations spanning cryptocurrency analysis, blockchain security, and digital assets. The audience includes academic researchers, doctoral students, industry leaders from DIFC, Emirates NBD, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, as well as policy makers from FINMA and UAE authorities.
Five Core Objectives
Three-Day Workshop Program
The opening afternoon (1–5 pm) begins with the opening ceremony and welcome remarks, followed by a 90-minute research session on Large Language Models in Finance featuring 4-5 contributed papers. The day closes with a keynote address (speaker TBA) and an informal networking dinner.
A full research day (10 am–4 pm) with two 90-minute sessions: Explainable AI for Finance in the morning, followed by an invited talk and lunch break, then Risk Management & Quantitative Finance in the afternoon. Each session features 4-5 contributed papers on AI applications in regulatory compliance, credit scoring, portfolio optimization, and quantitative methods.
The final day (9:30 am–1 pm) features two online sessions: Blockchain, DeFi & Digital Finance, and Alternative Data & ESG. These sessions bring together remote presenters on topics spanning decentralized finance, digital assets, fintech innovation, ESG analytics, and sustainable finance, followed by the closing ceremony and farewell dinner.
Session Formats & Hybrid Access
The workshop offers paper presentations (20-minute talks with 10-minute Q&A, 15-20 papers total), expert panels with 4-5 panelists per session, and facilitated roundtables for industry-academic dialogue. Hands-on workshops provide practical exercises in AI and finance methodologies. A full hybrid component ensures broad reach through professional live streaming, virtual Q&A, session recording, and online networking. All proceedings are published open-access for post-event dissemination.
Partnership & Roles
Swiss Lead — FHGR
Prof. Joerg Osterrieder, Professor of Finance and AI
MENA Partner — AUS
Prof. Stephen Chan, Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics
Complementary Strengths
Switzerland
MENA Region (UAE focus)
Proven Track Record
Prof. Osterrieder and Prof. Chan share a 7-year collaboration history that has produced 7 joint publications with 550+ citations. Their research spans cryptocurrency analysis, blockchain security, fraud detection, NFTs, and digital assets. They have secured multiple successful joint research grants and maintained an extended collaboration including research stays and joint graduate student supervision -- demonstrating the capability to deliver complex international workshops.
Timeline & Milestones
Agreement signing and committee formation, followed by website launch and call for papers. Speaker invitations and marketing campaigns run in parallel with registration system setup.
Final preparations lead into the three-day workshop from April 23 to 25, culminating in the bilateral agreement signing ceremony.
Post-event activities include feedback collection, open-access proceedings publication, final reporting and platform launch, and activation of the four thematic working groups.
Key Milestones
Deliverables & Impact
The workshop produces 15-20 peer-reviewed papers in open-access proceedings alongside a white paper on AI adoption in Swiss-MENA financial sectors. Four thematic working groups -- covering LLMs, Blockchain & DeFi, Risk Management & AI, and Financial Inclusion -- sustain collaboration beyond the event. A bilateral research agreement (MoU) between FHGR and AUS formalizes the partnership, supported by an online repository of all research outputs.
The organizers commit to a minimum of 40% female speakers and broad geographic MENA representation. Long-term deliverables include 3-5 joint research proposals and a follow-up workshop in Switzerland planned for 2027.
Success Metrics
Long-term goals include a 2027 follow-up workshop in Switzerland and journal special issues.
Communication & Dissemination
Academic Channel
Paper presentations with 20-minute talks and 10-minute Q&A sessions, complemented by methodological workshops. Open-access proceedings and journal special issues ensure lasting academic impact.
Industry Channel
Executive keynotes and case studies from DIFC, Emirates NBD, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, alongside structured roundtables. A co-authored white paper on AI adoption captures key industry insights.
Public Dissemination
Hybrid live streaming extends reach beyond the venue, supported by a social media campaign and press releases. A follow-up webinar series and policy briefs for FINMA and UAE authorities sustain public engagement.
Industry Engagement
Industry engagement centers on partnerships with DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), Emirates NBD, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, who contribute case study presentations and technology demonstrations. Structured roundtables bridge research and practice, while fintech companies from the UAE ecosystem bring additional perspectives. The hybrid format extends reach to remote industry participants. A white paper co-authored with industry contributors captures shared insights, and a dedicated Financial Inclusion working group addresses underserved MENA markets.
Risk Management
Acknowledgment
This project is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) through the HES-SO Leading House for the Middle East and North Africa (LH MENA) under the Connect & Collaborate Grants program.
Research results are published jointly and reference the Leading House MENA funding.
Grant agreement signed December 10, 2025.
LH MENA Programme Coordinator: Michael Krieger, lhmena@hes-so.ch
Contact
Project Manager: Prof. Joerg Osterrieder, FHGR — joerg.osterrieder@fhgr.ch | +41 81 286 37 69
MENA Partner: Prof. Stephen Chan, AUS — schan@aus.edu | +971 6 515 4458