Paying it Forward with FinTech (Prof. Gary Gensler)

Chalk Radio

One might imagine that an expert on financial technology would view human relations through a primarily transactional lens. But Professor Gary Gensler, in teaching his course on financial technology (or “FinTech”) at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, tries to base his interactions with his students on a different model. Feeling indebted to the older mentors who helped and supported him in his student days and his early career, he seeks to repay that debt by nurturing his own students’ intellectual and professional development and by teaching them to do the same for others in years to come. In this episode, Prof. Gensler discusses his teaching philosophy and how he sees his role in the FinTech course as involving the communication of values and respect as much as it involves transmitting knowledge of the course’s up-to-the-minute subject matter. Along the way, he touches on what FinTech is, how artificial intelligence is shaking up the financial sector, and how, when teaching remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, he helped students develop a sense of community.

Relevant Resources:

MIT OpenCourseWare

The OCW Educator Portal

Professor Gensler’s course on OCW

Professor Gensler’s faculty page

Benjamin Franklin quote referenced by Prof. Gensler

Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions

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