On September 30, 2025, students and specialties of the D2 Finance, Banking, Insurance and Stock Market attended the fifth annual Access2Finance conference, which was held at UnitCity. The event, organized by the Ukrainian Associationof Fintech and Innovation Companies, was a unique opportunity for future financial professionals to get acquainted with the latest trends and practical solutions in the field of financing small and medium sized businesses. The conference brought together leading banking experts, representatives of international financial organizations and successful entrepreneurs, whichcreated an ideal environment for the professional development of SumDU higher education students. The Access2Finance conference aimed to establish partnerships between financial institutions, entrepreneurs, regulators and donor organizations in order toimprove access to financing for small and medium-sized businesses. (fintechua.org). Among the key topics of the event were:
• the role of fintech in facilitating access to capital,
• support for SMEs through government policies and regulatory mechanisms,
• alternative financing instruments (loans, grants, donor programs),
• preparin gbusinesses for investments, partnerships with international structures.
Studentshad the opportunity to listen to speeches by international speakers who presented programs of financial support for Ukrainian business. The presentation of Olena Voloshyna on the priority areas of IFC’s work was especially valuable for students: “We focus on those sectors that the Ukrainian economy needs and are able to give maximum effect. These are traditional industries, in particular agriculture, renewable energy, transportand logistics. Together with the World Bank, we have begun work on housing construction.” A separateblock of the conference was the direction of supporting veteran entrepreneurship. Students witnessed a historic event – the signing of anagreement to finance veteran business with the support of the first veteran bonds in Ukraine. SerhiyPoznyak, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Entrepreneurs-Veterans of the ATO, shared his real experience: “A large percentage of business owners went to war. Regardless of the state of the business upon their return, we do everything we can to ensure that veterans can return to business. “This became a practical example of using new financial instruments to support socially significant projects. The centraltopic for the students-financiers was “The Great Dialogue: Banks and Business,” which was attended by top managers of leading Ukrainian banks. Practical value for students Participationin the Access2Finance 2025 conference provided students of the D2 specialty with unique opportunities, namely:
• Familiarity with real business cases and challenges of the financial sector
• Understanding the mechanisms of international financial support
• Experience of communicating with top managers of the banking sector
• Insights into the digital transformation of financial services
• Knowledge of innovative financial instruments (veteran bonds)
Students’participation in such a large-scale financial forum provided the opportunity to:
• directlyhear speeches by leading experts in the financial sector,
• join discussions on business support instruments,
• expand professional contacts,
• increase understanding of modern challenges and opportunities of the financial market.
Students received valuable knowledge about how business financing mechanisms work in Ukraine, how SME support policies are formed, and which instruments are effective today in conditions of instability. Such a practical component of training is animportant part of the training of future financial professionals, as it allows you to combine theoretical knowledge with real market needs.
