Guest lecture by Kristina Maslauskaite: "Fostering Financial Inclusion in Europe through Microfinance"

On Friday, January 10, 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming back our alumna Kristina MASLAUSKAITE for the guest lecture "Fostering Financial Inclusion in Europe through Microfinance."

Currently serving as a Technical Advisor for Microfinance at the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Kristina returned to Bruges to engage and share her expertise with the students of our European Economic Studies Department.

During the lecture, Kristina shared her insights on the role of microfinance in driving financial inclusion across Europe, emphasizing how innovative microfinance solutions can empower vulnerable communities, offering them access to financial services that help address economic disparities and foster sustainable growth.

About the speaker

Kristina MASLAUSKAITE is a Technical Advisor for Microfinance at the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), where she has been working for the past seven years. She is responsible for the technical due diligence of CEB’s operations in the sector and participates in defining strategic sectoral priorities. 

Kristina has authored a number of publications, including peer reviewed, on issues related to MSME credit constraints, social development, outreach to vulnerable groups and social infrastructure. Prior to joining the Bank, Kristina worked at the Europe Research Center of the Harvard Business School and Jacques Delors Institute in Paris. Kristina holds degrees from Ecole Polytechnique Paris, Sciences Po Paris, College of Europe in Bruges and the University of Warwick.