With spring just around the corner, bringing fresh energy and renewal, we would like to extend warm wishes for a very Happy Lunar New Year; may the Year of the Horse bring you strength, vitality, and great success. Kicking off our events for this month, on Tuesday 03 March is The Role Of Finance In Addressing Sustainable Development, with thanks to our event sponsor FSDC Hong Kong. On Wednesday 11 March, we look forward to Transforming Banking Modernisation: Faster Change With Lower Risk, supported by Keysight Technologies.

We have launched a major new podcast, the AI Standards Stack podcast, in collaboration with AIQI. This is designed to examine the latest developments in AI assurance, alignment, governance, and responsible innovation. Each session features expert guests from around the world who are shaping standards, ethics, regulation, and best practices for trustworthy artificial intelligence. We’re excited to share the release of our second episode of the AI Standards Stack podcast. Tune in to this great discussion with Dr Christine Chow at this link.

Finally, we would like to highlight some exciting partner conferences that are forthcoming. The third annual Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit will be held on Wednesday 08 April. Following this, CityForum will be hosting Safeguarding The Nation - The Role Of Private Security In Policing on Friday 24 April. We look forward to welcoming you to one of our events, our podcast, or both soon.

Sasha Davis (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

Join Our FS Club Webinar Series

Elevate your reach and connect with a global audience through the FS Club's renowned webinar series. Partner with us to present on topics that matter, gaining visibility among professionals worldwide. With a personalised event page, post-event analytics, and exclusive access to the recording, you’ll have the tools to make a lasting impact. Browse our different Sponsorship options here.

Discover how joining the FS Club webinars can amplify your voice, your platform and your audience.

Find our entire library of lectures and webinars on YouTube

Events & Webinars

• Featured Past Webinars

Joey Cheng, Brenda Hu, & Dr Julian Liu:
Advancing Taiwan’s Capital Market Within The Asian Asset Management Center

Hero Balani:
Discover Belize – A Secure, Innovative And Investor-Friendly Financial Services Hub

• Forthcoming Webinars

The Role Of Finance In Addressing Sustainable Development Tuesday, 03 March 2026

Transforming Banking Modernisation: Faster Change With Lower Risk Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Launch Of Global Financial Centres Index 39 Thursday, 26 March 2026

• Event

Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit 2026 Wednesday, 08 April 2026

The Esop Centre’s newspad, is a monthly publication providing in-depth coverage of the main international news in the field of employee share ownership. Read this month’s newspad in full.

Employee Share Plans Symposium 2026 Thursday, 26 March 2026

Jersey Employee Share Plans & Trustees Conference 2026 Friday, 22 May 2026

FS Club News

Financial Services Commission Mauritius: Sustainability and Digitalisation Initiatives: The Bank of Mauritius and the Data Protection Office of Mauritius have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate, coordinate, share expertise and ensure that the protection of personal data is embedded into the architecture of the financial ecosystem in Mauritius. This collaboration has the potential to pave the way to streamlining Know Your Customer processes, thus ensuring that banks meet Anti-Money Laundering requirements while upholding the highest standards of data privacy. By fostering secure information sharing and integrating robust privacy mechanisms, the partnership strengthens trust and compliance.

Financial Services Development Council Hong Kong: As the global economy evolves and capital seeks stability and opportunity, Hong Kong stands out as the leading international financial centre. With an open economy, deep and liquid capital markets, a trusted legal framework, and seamless connectivity to global institutions, Hong Kong offers the ideal ecosystem for capital facilitation, preservation, and growth. These strengths are further complemented by resilient infrastructure and a vibrant lifestyle that attracts top global talent.

The Financial Services Development Council has launched a global campaign personifying "Money" as "Capital" — a dynamic protagonist in pursuit of growth. It demonstrates how Hong Kong fulfills the core needs of capital: growth, security, efficiency, and opportunity, empowering it to thrive even amid global challenges.

Discover how Hong Kong empowers capital to thrive. Watch the campaign: Click Here.

Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation: TWSE signs MoUs in India’s GIFT City, showcasing international progress of Asian Asset Management Center initiative:The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) conducted an official visit to India’s GIFT City from February 24–27, 2026, meeting regulators, exchanges, and asset management institutions. Led by Ms. Brenda Hu, TWSE participated in the Global Securities Markets Conclave and a Bloomberg roundtable, sharing insights on Taiwan’s ETF market and global capital flow trends. Read more here.

Cathay Daiwa Japan REITs Dividend Income ETF (009817) debuts on the TWSE, strengthening Taiwan–Japan collaboration: The Cathay Daiwa Japan REITs Dividend Income ETF (Ticker: 009817) was officially listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange on February 6, 2026, marking Taiwan’s second cross-border feeder ETF established between Taiwan and Japan. Read more here.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange hosted the ‘Road to the Innovation Board’, linked frontier enterprises with international market: The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) hosted the “Road to the Innovation Board Forum” in Taipei on February 10, bringing together management teams from Emerging Stock Market and public offering companies. Read more here.

The news from the TWSE: https://twmonthly.twse.com.tw/
Follow TWSE on LinkedIn to stay informed.

Busan Finance Center: Busan Strengthens Maritime Finance Capabilities by Attracting two maritime-finance players: Busan is deepening its maritime-finance ecosystem by attracting two private-sector players: Clarksons and Waterline Partners, with Waterline planning to relocate its headquarters to Busan in phases.Clarksons is widely recognised for shipbroking, as well as shipping research and market information services used across the industry. Through its research arm, Clarksons provides datasets covering global newbuilding orders, vessel prices, and freight indices (including the ClarkSea Index). In Busan, it is expected to support maritime-related projects, including offshore wind, and to make it easier for local stakeholders to access a global shipping broker’s day-to-day market insights and advisory capabilities – particularly in a city where ports, logistics, shipping, and related industries are concentrated. Read the full publication here.

Seoul Fintech Lab: Seoul Financial Hub, managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is currently inviting esteemed overseas financial institutions to join our global financial epicenter in Yeouido, Seoul. Benefit from exclusive office space, expert consultation on market entry, and unparalleled networking opportunities. Stay ahead with insights into the Korean Financial market. For further details about Seoul Financial Hub, click here.‎‎

‎

Dubai International Financial Centre: DIFC has published its latest report titled ‘Global Wealth Outlook: Rethinking growth in a changing world’, which examines how nearly 23mn high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), collectively holding approximately USD 87trn in wealth, are reshaping global capital flows amid volatility, demographic change and geopolitical realignment.
Produced in collaboration with Asia House, this is the first publication under DIFC’s 2026 Future of Finance thought leadership series. Download your copy here.

On 27 January 2026, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced a monumental expansion of DIFC with the inauguration of DIFC Zabeel District. DIFC Zabeel District will advance a new era of global finance by expanding infrastructure, connectivity and capacity to meet evolving industry demands. This strategic expansion will enable DIFC to accommodate more than 42,000 companies and a workforce of over 125,000, accelerating our contribution towards the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). With a gross development value exceeding AED 100bn, the project will expand DIFC’s footprint by 7.1mn sq. ft., adding a total gross floor area of 17.7mn sq. ft. Read more here.

Kigali International Financial Centre: The Kigali International Financial Centre, in collaboration with partners, are organising the third edition of the Inclusive FinTech Forum (IFF), to be hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, on 10–12 March 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre. Following the successful second edition of the Forum held in Kigali in 2025, IFF 2026 anticipates hosting 3,000 delegates from Africa, Asia, Europe, and beyond, featuring world-class speakers, engaging discussions, and a high-level opening ceremony. Learn more.

Scottish Financial Enterprise: Scottish Financial Enterprise has launched an update to its skills action plan to help prepare the industry for its future skills requirements. The update comes as rapid advances in emerging technologies and a competitive hiring landscape are reshaping the industry and seeks to highlight how best to prepare the workforce for an AI and data led world. Click here for more information.‎
‎

Astana International Financial Centre: Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) presented the analytical report “The Next Wave of Urban Development: Investing in Smart City Infrastructure and Technology”. Around the world, cities are undergoing profound change — evolving from traditional administrative centre into data-driven, connected ecosystems that integrate technology, sustainability, and human-centred governance. Kazakhstan is part of this global transformation. This report provides a comprehensive overview of Kazakhstan’s smart-city journey — from global benchmarks and policy evolution to local implementation and investment opportunities. It highlights how digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are reshaping service delivery, urban management, and citizen engagement across the country’s leading cities. Fore more details please see the report.

Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance: TABF Partners with ACAMS to Host the 17th ACAMS Taiwan Conference:TABF was honored to co-organize the 17th ACAMS Taiwan Conference with ACAMS, convening leaders from government, banking, FinTech, and academia to address key anti-financial crime challenges. Discussions covered virtual asset and stablecoin risks, sanctions convergence, and the transition toward proactive, technology-driven fraud prevention, underscoring the importance of public–private collaboration and innovation in strengthening Taiwan’s AML and financial integrity framework.TABF extends its sincere appreciation to ACAMS, all speakers, moderators, and participants, and looks forward to continued collaboration to enhance financial resilience in Taiwan and the region. For more information: LinkedIn.

Northeastern University London: April intake now open: NU London’s Data Scientist & Digital Technology apprenticeships: Is your organisation sitting on untapped talent - or untapped data?

Our April intake is now open for two industry-leading Level 6 apprenticeship programmes designed to strengthen capability, drive performance, and build future-ready expertise across your organisation.

Our Digital and Technology Solutions Professional apprenticeship develops your existing team members into strategic technology professionals. Learners build critical expertise in software engineering, cybersecurity, business analysis and data analytics - all applied directly within your day-to-day operations. Designed in collaboration with industry partners and tailored to your business needs, the programme embeds critical thinking and leadership at every stage.

For organisations ready to unlock the full value of their data, our Data Scientist apprenticeship develops specialists who turn complex datasets into measurable business impact - from predictive modelling and operational insight to recommendations that inform C-suite strategy. Apprentices gain hands-on expertise in machine learning, AI, advanced analytics and data visualisation, solving real business challenges from day one.

Both programmes are fully work-aligned, can be funded through a range of routes (including the Growth and Skills Levy), and are built to deliver measurable ROI.

Ready to invest in the skills your business needs most? Find out more and register your interest today.

Bridgeworks: Why Cloud Security Needs WAN Acceleration:

Cloud services typically fall into two main categories: pre-built software-as-a-service (SaaS) in the cloud or cloud platforms, providing components to self-build a service to solve a business problem. However, as more and more organisations are faced with the complex decision of which approach to adopt and why, the size of the organisation and of its digital footprint is now a significant factor.

For example, if you are a small company, you have an internet presence, maybe staff work remotely, and you are most likely to go for a solution using a SaaS cloud model, because it doesn’t require technical in-house expertise. It also offers a fixed price, while allowing you to add various applications and services as needed. It also means that you won’t need to employ a CISO or a security expert. Read the full publication here.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We currently have opportunities available to partner with Z/Yen as a sponsor for our ongoing research into the development of financial centres. If you may be interested in sponsorship of the Global Green Finance Index or Smart Centres Index, please get in touch with Mike Wardle.

Pamphleteers Blog

The Pamphleteers Blog features considered thoughts – somewhere between a knee-jerk editorial and a full-blown piece of research.

"Write for today and not for tomorrow."

Made Me Think

Christopher Gleadle: Water And Power - Anything We Can Actually Do, We Can Afford*

Of Great Interest

Professor Michael Mainelli: Beyond LLMs - The Primordial Ooze Versus Intelligent Design Of AI

FS Club Bulletins - Keep Track Of Your Commercial Interests

FS Club provides up to 1,000 weekly bulletins on a variety of topics from Inflation, to Inter-Bank Lending, to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Register here.

• Accounting Software & Systems
• Investment Theory & Pricing Models

Best Of The Finanser

Stirred My Thoughts:

• JPMorgan’s $20 Billion Bet On AI And Digital Transformation

Grabbed My Attention:

• Branches Aren’t Needed For Advice Or Transactions … It’s All About Trust

Membership & Sponsorship FS Club is the premier global executive knowledge network for technology and finance professionals. Great events, research, and social functions build a buzz for Members and a valuable partnership for Sponsors. Membership of the FS Club is a great way to enhance your professional development, grow your network and profile, and get backing for your ideas, contact: sasha_davis@zyen.com