The University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School has received a major boost in the fight against financial illiteracy. Thanks to a £1.5 million donation from Capital.com, one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintech platforms, Oxford will launch a new five-year programme aimed at tackling the global problem of poor financial literacy.
The initiative will run under the Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative, combining world-class expertise in behavioural finance and corporate social responsibility. The goal is to find practical, data-driven ways to help people make better financial choices and reduce financial vulnerability across the globe.
The programme will be led by Dr Shumiao Ouyang, who specialises in how consumers of financial products can be nudged towards healthier decision-making, and Professor Pinar Ozcan, who heads up the Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative.
Professor Ozcan commented:
“Lack of financial education doesn’t just affect people’s wallets – it takes a toll on their mental and physical health and limits their ability to plan for the future. I’m grateful to Capital.com for stepping up to address this critical issue and backing research that can drive real, lasting change.”
Viktor Prokopenya, Founder of Capital.com, also commented:
“Capital.com’s mission has always been to help people make better financial decisions by giving them the tools, resources and education they need to save, invest and trade with confidence. My life was transformed after learning financial skills and I hope this partnership with the University of Oxford can create new solutions that can have a similarly transformative impact on the lives of others.”
The research will have strong support from Capital.com itself. The fintech platform, which saw client trading volumes exceed $1.7 trillion in 2024, has for long made education part of its mission. Backed by this funding, Oxford will build a dedicated team of academics working across two main research areas:
Behavioural Finance (led by Dr Ouyang): Using insights from economics and psychology to understand consumer behaviour and guide better decision-making.
Corporate Social Responsibility (led by Prof. Ozcan): Conducting global field research into how companies can prioritise customer wellbeing instead of just profit.
Dr Ouyang added:
“Our research will combine behavioural economics, AI, and digital technologies to design accessible financial education strategies. By equipping individuals to navigate modern digital trading environments, we aim to enhance financial resilience and promote responsible financial behaviours. We’re grateful to Capital.com for their generous support in making this work possible.”
The project also plans to create data-driven educational programmes, policy recommendations and even new tools and games designed to boost financial skills among everyday investors.
Professor Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean of Oxford Saïd, summarized the research partnership as follows:
“We’re hugely grateful to Mr Prokopenya and Capital.com for this transformative gift to address the widespread effects of financial illiteracy. Thanks to their generosity, this important research will generate actionable insights and help design effective educational programmes to reduce global financial vulnerability.”
By
Staff Writer
