Tech Policy Learning Lab
Applied learning for policymakers and leaders navigating fintech, AI, digital assets, and inclusive finance.
About the Program
The Tech Policy Learning Lab is a three month, blended learning experience for technology-oriented financial policymakers, regulators, and supervisors. Jointly led by Women’s World Banking and the Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance at the University of Zurich, this program is the only one of its kind to combine rigorous learning in policy-relevant technology with a gender lens on policy and regulation implementation.
Why Now?
Today, 700 million women are excluded from the formal financial system. Gaps like these limit resilience, growth, and opportunity across markets. Technology is the future of finance, but realizing this future will depend on purposeful choices.
Policymakers and regulators are uniquely positioned to drive change, but women’s perspectives are still too often missing from the decisions that shape digital finance.
The Tech Policy Learning Lab equips leaders with the tools and insight needed to design digital finance ecosystems that expand access, strengthen resilience, and work for everyone. The program supports financial sector regulators and supervisors to achieve their goals for safe, accessible, well-functioning, innovative, and interoperable digital finance.
Why this program?
Today, hundreds of millions of people — particularly women — still lack access to safe, affordable formal financial services. These gaps limit resilience and dampen economic opportunity across markets. Policymakers and regulators have the power to address these challenges by designing digital finance ecosystems that work for everyone.
The Tech Policy Learning Lab provides unique access to practical knowledge, applied skills, and key experts needed to translate technological trends into effective, inclusive policy solutions.
What makes it unique?
Policy-Relevant, Technology-Focused Learning
Participants gain a deep understanding of the technologies reshaping finance — including AI, blockchain, open finance, sustainable digital finance, and digital payments — and explore their regulatory and institutional implications.
Gender-Intentional, Inclusion Sensitive Design
Every module integrates a lens on inclusion and gender-balanced policy considerations, ensuring participants recognise where digital finance can widen or close gaps in access, affordability, and consumer protection.
Global Expertise & Real-World Application
Jointly delivered by Women’s World Banking and the Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance the programme brings together global experts from central banks, supervisory authorities, academia, and fintech. Learners engage with global case studies and receive one to one policy advisory to develop their own real-world policies.
Collaborative & Applied Learning
The experience includes peer circles, live case studies, collaborative project work, and targeted policy advisory support — all designed to reinforce hands-on, active learning.
🌍 April to November 2026
A global series of interactive online sessions, featuring thought leaders from finance, technology, and policy.
Key topics include:
- Digitalization of the financial industry
- Sustainable digital finance and climate finance
- Blockchain, DeFi, and digital asset governance
- Open finance and digital ecosystems
- AI in finance
- Digital payments and financial inclusion
- Digital public infrastructure
- The future of the global financial system
🏛️ In-Person Week — 14–18 September 2026, Zurich, Switzerland
Hosted at the University of Zurich’s Center for Continuing Education, the immersive policy lab deepens learning through:
- Expert-led deep dives on fintech transformation, sustainable digital finance, and future financial architectures, with keynote speakers from BIS, fintech, and top-tier academic institution-led deep dives on fintech transformation, sustainable digital finance, and future financial architectures
- Keynote sessions from senior leaders in central banking, financial market infrastructure, and fintech innovation
- A field visit to Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland
- Time and guidance to develop and present individual policy proposals
- Peer exchange, reflection, and a curated cohort experience
Who Should Apply?
This program is designed for:
- Policymakers, regulators, and supervisors in multilaterals, standard setting bodies, central banks, ministries of finance, insurance, pensions, securities, and fintech oversight.
- Applicants with at least 10 years’ experience and a mandate within your current role related to digital finance, payments, fintech, or financial inclusion.
What can I expect from the program?
By the end of the programme, participants will:
- Understand emerging trends in digital finance and their policy implications
- Gain practical insight from global case studies and leading practitioners
- Strengthen their ability to design forward-looking, inclusive, and sustainable tech policylooking, inclusive, and sustainable tech policy
- Develop a concrete, context-relevant policy proposal relevant policy proposal
- Join a global peer network of policy leaders
Academic Partner
Funding Partner
About Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance
The financial system is currently being transformed by digitization and sustainability. However, existing knowledge on the topic of Sustainable Digital Finance, which bridges both areas, is still rare and a more comprehensive understanding of the domain is a missing component. The Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance focuses on this domain and aims to develop innovative approaches (research), accelerate those approaches (impact) and train students and practitioners to foster innovation on a global scale (education).
