Global Symposium on Financial Education: Driving the Movement Into the Next Decade

With only one month remaining before the Global Symposium on Financial Education to be held in Seoul, Korea, financial literacy professionals throughout the world are weighing on several significant financial education developments that recently have headlined the national economic, social and policy agendas of both developed and developing countries.  The Global Symposium on Financial Education will take place on February 26 and 27 and will focus on the topic of promoting long-term savings and investments by leveraging and implementing effective solutions in the areas of financial education and financial consumer protection.

This year’s symposium is being organized by the OECD, the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service of Korea.  Among the topics that will be covered in more detail are policy initiatives that promote retirement savings, programs that incorporate financial education for investor protection, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the private sector in enhancing financial literacy programs on local, national and global environments.

Among the attendees will be experts from governmental organizations, central banks, education think tanks, regulatory bodies, and academic, collectively bringing varying views, ideas and experiences to the important discussion of financial literacy from a global perspective.

While the agenda is subject to change, the following are the primary topical sessions currently scheduled to frame the overall dialogue:

• Session 1 - National strategies for financial education
• Session 2 - Promotion of saving for retirement through financial education
• Session 3 - Financial education for long-term savings and investments
• Session 4 - Long-term savings and investments for particular subgroups

This year’s symposium comes at a critical time in the global financial literacy movement, as nations from all corners of the world continue to incorporate financial education into their economic, social and policy agendas.  The outcomes of the symposium dialogues are expected to help shape and energize the movement in the months ahead.