Courses / Course structure

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals will require a surge in financing and investments” and it is estimated by UN Secretary General António Guterres that USD 5-7 trillion is needed by 2030. This presents a significant opportunity for businesses, investors, and policymakers to assess and understand best practices to deliver better outcomes for all stakeholders. The new Sustainable Financial Technology and Innovation Programme is an interdisciplinary programme designed to provide participants with a strong foundation and cutting-edge application in sustainable finance incorporating both technological and innovation perspectives. This is an exciting and rapidly evolving area of practice, and understanding core drivers, risks, and influences will provide participants with skills that will be relevant across a range of careers connected to sustainable finance. It will enhance participants’ existing understanding of sustainability and sustainable finance and allow those who are new to sustainable finance to develop and expand their skills and knowledge.

This programme aims to provide participants with an understanding of the fundamentals of sustainable finance. Throughout the programme, participants will explore current trends in sustainable finance, financial technology, innovation, the environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks facing businesses, and the use of sustainable finance to address and alleviate these risks. Participants will also gain a comprehensive understanding of key financial products used in sustainable finance, including green, social, and sustainability products. This programme explores not only what sustainable finance is, but what risks it is seeking to address, what forms it takes, and how it is implemented. A key goal of this programme is to train supply-side experts that can serve a global market from Ireland, making Ireland an attractive place for sustainable finance training and development.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Financial Technology & Innovation is aimed towards individuals who wish to upskill in four key areas: data science related to sustainable finance, how financial technology is used to implement sustainable finance solutions, how sustainable finance interacts with financial innovation, and how regulators can design policies to promote sustainable practices. Significant changes are happening in the financial services sector globally as a result of the drive towards increased sustainability. New financial products and services are emerging to finance the change towards a net-zero carbon economy. This programme enables the learner to understand the fundamental aspects of these changes. It is also important to note that financial technologies and solutions are not just the purviews of the finance function but is a key aspect of the emerging role of the Chief Sustainability Officer and in many organisations are part of the Chief Executive Officer Team. During this programme, participants will learn from subject specialists from Maynooth University’s School of Business and industry experts and will have an opportunity to engage with industry speakers. Typically, modules will be delivered online in the evenings so that working practitioners can access the modules, and review material asynchronously as suits their time commitments.