Written by: Sara Elvebakk and Ivanessa Staykova.
NCE Finance Innovation has since August experienced an increasing interest from students who wish to involve themselves in the fintech ecosystem and cluster. Now the cluster has with the help of our interns established a student group consisting of student ambassadors across different educational institutions who have a shared interest in FinTech. Most of the students currently in the group are representatives from UiB, NHH, BI, and HVL - all members of the cluster.
Increasing interest for FinTech in the student community
01. November, 2021
- I first heard about NCE Finance Innovation through a course at NHH and it was a no-brainer that I wanted to get involved with the student group when the opportunity presented itself. What I am really looking forward to is working in an interdisciplinary team with students from the different Universities, getting a deep-dive into the FinTech world and getting to know all the companies in the cluster, says Ivanessa Staykova at NHH.
- The cluster has so much to offer in terms of competence and all of us are really happy that we have the opportunity to get a closer look into what is happening in the FinTech space, says Alexander Podolski from BI.
The students will be able to access and use the Fintech Hub in Bergen, the co-working space and headquarters of the cluster. This is also a space for physical cluster events, which the students of course can attend if they wish. Events are a great way to both share knowledge and network with other cluster members.
- Some of us have already attended our first cluster event, where NHH presented “ESG reporting in a nutshell”, which gave us a better understanding of the different ESG reporting standards. It was also great to meet some of the cluster members and get to know them a bit better, says Sara Elvebakk from the University of Bergen.
The student group had their first meet-up in October and will be meeting regularly to plan various student activities in the Cluster.
You will catch the student group arranging and attending FinTech events, performing research, helping with and participating in seminars and workshops, promoting FinTech initiatives aimed at other students, interviewing members, and various other initiatives.
What is next for the student group?
The student group is excited to get started on initiatives such as the “What is FinTech” series where we will explore and provide research on topics relevant to the FinTech industry, and planning the Student FinTech conference in the Spring to engage students from different educational institutions by discussing relevant topics in the industry. Be sure to stay on the lookout for these initiatives in the upcoming months!
Get to know our student ambassadors!
Events /
Markus Krüger
Markus is a 5th year student at HVL, pursuing a Master’s degree in Innovation and Management. Technology has always been an interest and after three years studying Economics, FinTech became a huge interest. The way small businesses can both cooperate with and challenge large corporations, and markets can be disrupted - it’s an interesting part of the fast-changing world of business we see today.
Erling Helland Nordanger
Erling Helland Nordanger, student at NHH and UiB pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Administration. Erlings’ interest in FinTech originates from his studies within informatics and economy and the student group seems like the perfect way to explore this. Interdisciplinarity is something that drives Erling, through the student group he wants to get to know students from different fields and contribute to enlightening the students in Bergen about FinTech.
Elisabeth Søilen
Elisabeth Søilen, student at BI Norwegian Business School pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship. Elisabeth joined the student group because she thinks the concept of digital money is super cool! She is looking forward to planning some fun and educational events for students across campuses to help open their eyes to FinTech.
Ingvild Stautland
Ingvild Stautland, student at NHH, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Finance. FinTech fascinates Ingvild because of the exciting possibilities it enables. From simplifying overly complicated systems and processes to the social aspect of increasing access to knowledge and financial tools, FinTech has the potential to improve lives. Ingvild is looking forward to organizing events that will bring students in Bergen and the city´s FinTech community together!
Communication & Content Production /
Sara Elvebakk
Sara Elvebakk, is a 2nd year student at University of Bergen, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Informatics-Mathematics-Economics. FinTech interests Sara because with the help of FinTech we can digitize, simplify, and improve processes in a business, and it is something we need more of in our daily life.
Ivanessa Staykova
Ivanessa Staykova, is a student at NHH, pursuing a MSc in Marketing and Brand Management. Ivanessa is interested in FinTech because it's an exciting and innovative industry that can add value and have a positive impact on society. She is looking forward to working with the student group to promote FinTech to other students and help with initiatives at the cluster.
Alexander Podolski
Alexander Podolski, is a 5th year student at BI Norwegian Business School, pursuing a Major in Leadership and Change. He finds FinTech interesting because of the development of new technologies to create innovative and effective solutions and possibilities.
Marketing & Social Media /
Sanna Rosøy
Sanna Rosøy, is a 2nd year student at University of Bergen, pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Informatics-Mathematics-Economics. Sanna’s interest in FinTech is because it's relevant for her education. Her ambitions forward with the student group is to make it more visible and interesting for more students.
Amund Halgunset
Amund Halgunset, student at Høyskolen Kristiania pursuing a Major in 3D and Animation. Amund is very interested in technology and has been doing some freelance for NCE Finance Innovation earlier and really enjoyed the work, so he is looking forward to developing his knowledge and getting valuable experience.
Misha Mohammadi
Misha Mohammadi, student at the BI Norwegian Business School pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Law. Misha’s interest in FinTech was sparked when she attended a FinTech event at MCB and she applied due to curiosity and desire to gain more knowledge in the industry. She is looking forward to linking with various companies to educational institutions as a member of the student group.
Johanne Sivertsen
Johanne Sivertsen is a student at BI Norwegian Business School pursuing a Major in Digital Marketing and Communication. Johanne is interested in FinTech because it has many exciting opportunities. She is looking forward to learning more about FinTech and gaining more experience in marketing in SoMe.
