Innovating the teaching of microfinance and the social economy with practical, engaging tools, and building a bridge between academic theory and operational practice: this is the aim of Fin4Good – Educational Pathway to Applied Microfinance, a new Erasmus+ project coordinated by the University of Bologna through the Department of Management, and funded by the European Union.
The project was created to develop a new training pathway focused on social economy and microfinance tools, which can offer opportunities for growth and financial support to the many people worldwide who do not have access to traditional financial services.
“With Fin4Good, we want to train a new generation of professionals capable of combining economic skills with social awareness,” says Andi Duqi, professor at the University of Bologna’s Department of Management and project coordinator. “In a context where finance is often perceived as distant from people’s real needs, we want to promote a different idea: finance that truly serves the common good, able to support inclusive, solidarity-based and sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives.”
To better engage and motivate students, the Fin4Good research group will focus on gamification as a teaching method, using an interactive online learning platform and a serious game that recreates realistic scenarios related to managing microfinance initiatives or social enterprises. These interactive simulations will allow students to experience first-hand the challenges and decisions typical of high social-impact contexts, while developing analytical, ethical and management skills.
At the same time, the project aims to build a collaboration network to facilitate knowledge exchange locally and internationally. This “Network of Networks” will also lead to the development of a Virtual Summer Programme: a virtual mobility programme enabling students to engage with different approaches and cultures, removing logistical barriers and making the learning experience more inclusive and accessible.
Over the next three years, Fin4Good’s results will be monitored and shared through dissemination activities, workshops and scientific publications. However, the project promoters stress that its real success will be measured by its ability to inspire young economists, entrepreneurs and social-sector practitioners to put finance at the service of people.
The Fin4Good consortium involves six European partners. Alongside the University of Bologna, the project involves the Yunus Foundation (Italy), the University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the “Aleksandër Xhuvani” University of Elbasan (Albania), the Academy of Entrepreneurship Astiki Etaireia (Greece), and the University of Agder (Norway).
