Who we are
The Baltic Finance Center was set up in 2023 to serve as the key regional independent think-tank and capacity builder.
Our mission is to contribute to the development of an innovative, sustainable and well-functioning financial services market that drives economic growth.
What We Do
We carry out research and educational activities across all areas of financial services.
We will focus on building research and educational capacity and know-how in Fintech and Financial regulation.
Education & Training
● World-class academic courses in FinTech and Financial regulation.
● Promoting new pedagogical approaches.
● Enabling access to regional data for learning.
Think-tank & Forum
● Independent, non-partisan research providing a holistic perspective on the entire ecosystem.
● Responding to the need for more robust analysis and data on the performance of the sector.
● A forum for ecosystem participants.
Academic Research
● Enabler of academic research focused on Baltic financial services markets.
● Linking academia, policymakers, and the industry through gap analysis & data access.
● Linking regional and international researchers.
EU Project (2023-2026)
“Knowledge and Research Capacity Strengthening of Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Sector Technology and Analysis”
During 2023-2026 the Center will receive €1.5m in funding from the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Facility to carry out a project to strengthen knowledge and research capacity in the areas of financial regulation, anti-money laundering, fintech, and sectoral analysis.
As part of the project, the Center will:
● Create 6 academic study modules on fintech & financial regulation based on the best global course materials, train faculty from universities across Latvia, and deliver these courses to at least 150 undergraduate and graduate students.
● Carry out policy-focused applied research: produce 3 annual flagship reports and 6 policy briefs or occasional papers.
● Carry out academic research (at least 4 publications).
Transparency & governance
The main asset of BCEFS is its independence, professional integrity, and objectivity. BCEFS will ensure that all those conducting research for it adhere to the highest research integrity standards. Any potential conflicts of interest through other affiliations will be appropriately managed and disclosed according to internal policies.
To ensure the relevance of Center’s activities to regional financial services ecosystem development, the work of the Center is overseen by a Development Council that serves as the Center’s key advisory body and liaison mechanism for stakeholders. The Council provides feedback and advice on the Center’s mission, strategy, research, and educational offerings. Council members bring a balanced range of perspectives on the regional financial services ecosystem. The Council has no legal or reputation responsibility for the Center’s activities.
Join us
We are interested in building links and working relationships with other researchers and practitioners who are interested in collaborating with the Center. For further inquiries, please contact finance@rbs.lv or Kristīne Dambe (kristine.dambe@rbs.lv).
