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M Konrad Borowicz

Assistant Professor | Tilburg University

TEACHING
In the academic year 2023/24, I am teaching the following courses:

Governance and Regulation of Financial Technology

Offered as part of the LLM in Law and Technology at Tilburg University 

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"When you mentioned 'banking the unbanked,' we were unaware that you were referring to criminals." This statement went viral on social media earlier this year, following yet another case of criminal charges against a financial technology (FinTech) company. It captures in a provocative way the main question at the heart of this course: Who truly benefits from FinTech? Throughout this course, we will reflect on whether the potential to transform the financial system for the betterment of society, which technology offers, is being realized. Our focus will be on examining the influence of larger institutional frameworks (governance) and specific regulatory frameworks in achieving this goal. By adopting a critical perspective on FinTech, we aim to stimulate students' thinking about the intricate interplay between governance and regulation in finance and beyond. In this sense, FinTech serves as both an intriguing subject for study in its own right and an illuminating case study for understanding the complex challenges arising from the intersection of governance and regulation.

 

Learning objectives

  • Analyze the impacts of, and regulatory questions raised by, fintech in different economic and political contexts;

  • Critically assess the extent to which fintech has disrupted the financial system, and the potential for future disruption;

  • Understand the forces behind technological changes in the financial industry;

  • Analyze fintech governance structures and recommend improvements to those structures;

  • Identify fintech-related legal developments and informal partnerships (among regulators and/or

  • business actors) at the local/global level;

  • Explain the context and background of European Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism legislation and its applicability to fintech; and

  • Identify and apply data protection law applicable to fintech.

 

Evaluation

  • Papers proposing a particular approach to governing/regulating a given fintech application.

Innovation and Regulation

Offered as part of the Joint Bachelor Data Science at Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology

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This course explores the interaction between innovation and regulation in the field of data science. It draws mainly on economics, theories of regulation and innovation and focuses on data driven innovation. It discusses theories of regulation and innovation in general and applies them in specific fields, such as agriculture and sustainability.

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Learning objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have obtained a basic understanding of the fundamental theories and principles underpinning the regulation of innovation, and the interplay between regulation and innovation in general, and innovation driven by (big) data in particular. They will be able to:

  • Identify real-life examples of (data driven) innovation and evaluate the potential social and economic impact of such innovation;

  • identify and understand the role of social, economic and ethical considerations as grounds for regulation of innovative technologies; 

  • identify different types of regulatory strategies and regimes applicable to innovation regulation, including risk-based strategies;

  • rely on their knowledge of regulatory regimes to inform decisions in engineering design;

  • recognize the importance of regulatory regimes for innovation and engineering design more generally;

  • apply principles of responsible innovation in engineering design.

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Evaluation 

There will be a graded assignment after each of the six modules. The highest four grades received by the student will be calculated as the overall assignment grade, which amounts to 40% of the overall Final Grade. At the end of the course, there will be a written exam, which will account for the remaining 60% of the Final Grade. This written exam will consist of open-ended questions from all of the modules.

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