This week the Payments Corporation of India announced the creation of a technology and innovation unit focused on artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital financial infrastructure and global capability‑center services, while U.S. higher education institutions continue to participate in and lead related developments.
AI, Blockchain and Finance Drive New Public and Educational Initiatives
The announcement by the Payments Corporation of India reflects a wider global focus on AI, blockchain and finance. In the United States, nonprofit and academic groups have convened founders, developers, policymakers and industry leaders to address related issues in cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, financial technology and policy affecting small businesses, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their communities.
Conferences and Challenges Boost HBCU Engagement
BDPA (formerly Black Data Processing Associates) said it would participate in the 9th annual Black Blockchain Summit at Howard University. Base 11 launched the Own Your Future HBCU Innovation Challenge, in partnership with organizations including Coinbase, offering $10,000 in cash prizes and an all‑expenses‑paid trip to pitch ideas at the National HBCU Blockchain, FinTech & AI Conference.
Last week the 7th Annual HBCU Blockchain, FinTech, & AI Conference took place in Tennessee from November 8–10. The 2026 conference theme is “Engineering Trust: Scalable, Intelligent, and Secure Financial Systems with Blockchain and AI.” Topics at the events have included digital assets, tokenization, AI applications, cybersecurity, smart contracts, decentralized finance and financial inclusion.
Morgan State’s National FinTech Center and Institutional Partnerships
The National FinTech Center at Morgan State University organized the conference with support from Ripple and its University Blockchain Research Initiative. According to Morgan State, the Center held an inaugural summit in Baltimore that brought together representatives from 34 HBCUs; virtual summits in 2020 and 2021 engaged faculty, delegates and student ambassadors from 65 HBCUs; and in 2022 in‑person conferences resumed across Florida, Maryland, Georgia and North Carolina. Morgan State says experiential learning is central to the Earl Graves School of Business, which houses the National FinTech Center and offers students practical experience with blockchain, cybersecurity, payment systems and related areas.
The National HBCU Blockchain, FinTech, and AI Conference is described on the Center’s website as a leading forum for research at the intersection of financial technology, blockchain, digital assets and artificial intelligence, bringing together scholars, engineers, economists and policymakers to advance real‑world solutions for next‑generation financial ecosystems.
This week the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice announced a partnership with the Howard University School of Law Artificial Intelligence Initiative to livestream the HBCU AI Forum on November 11–12, 2026. The two‑day event is planned to unite HBCU leaders, faculty, students, technologists, elected officials and strategic partners to develop a shared action plan aimed at ensuring HBCUs and their communities are owners and architects of the AI future.
