In-depth fintech research and analysis with specialist MSc students

Article written by Ksenia Siedlecka, Financial Services and Fintech Sector Engagement Manager at Edinburgh Innovation


We are currently looking for projects for a variety of MSc programmes with finance and fintech focus (MSc Fintech – Finance, Technology, Policy, MSc Banking and Risk, and MSc Finance, MSc Financial Mathematics). We also have a number of business and data science MSc programmes which are popular with Financial Services and Fintech companies looking to propose projects (e.g. Business Administration, Business Analytics, Statistics). With such a fantastic selection of programmes, we are able to tackle a variety of business challenges. Our students are among the best in their field and combine their specialist subject knowledge and management skills with the refinement offered through our 12-month, intensive programmes. Projects are delivered free of charge and supported by our world-leading academics at The University of Edinburgh. We offer different types of projects and will match you with an individual postgraduate student with the specialised skill set suited to your business challenge and research needs.

Our Business School students can help tackle questions related to corporate strategy, marketing, finance, internationalisation, product development, HR, operations management, change management and many others. The MSc in Finance programme covers all aspects of investment, corporate and energy finance. MSc Accounting and Finance could help with topics on financial reporting and management accounting. MSc Banking & Risk projects could cover such topics as analysis of corporate financial information, credit risk management, econometrics applications and many others. We can consider almost any topic that has a finance, accounting, investment, energy market, banking or risk focus. Successful projects tend to have an empirical element, which has practical relevance. Our students are keen to work with practitioners on projects which will be of real value to them, helping them find solutions to strategic financial issues such as validity forecasting, forecast asset market returns, risk modelling, dynamic lifecycle strategies etc.

MSc Financial Mathematics students will work on a real mathematical finance problem and can utilize specialist techniques such as stochastic analysis, Monte Carlo methods, statistics and optimisation, construction of algorithms and programming skills. Projects often require the design and implementation of computational analysis to a specific area, and can involve the application and implementation of existing mathematical models, or development of new approaches to solution methods. Quantitative modeling, data analytics, financial computing and software development projects can be tackled by our computer science students from MSc Advanced Technology for Financial Computing.

The MSc Finance, Technology and Policy (Fintech) prepares students with technical skills and knowledge of programming, artificial intelligence and machine learning who also understand financial markets and regulations so they are ready to develop technological solutions fit for the financial sector. We are particularly interested in dissertation topics in applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, data analytics, and portfolio optimisation. Example topics include: building robo-advise algorithms using ML; pattern recognition in big data (including alternative data) using ML; optimal execution strategy with particular emphasis on trading securities in ratio, and many others.  Can you help?

If so, we're looking for companies to submit project ideas by approx. 25 January 2021. In return, you'll benefit from the insight of one of our high-calibre postgraduate students, including a substantial report featuring extensive research, rigorous analysis and practical conclusions.

To discuss further, contact Ksenia Siedlecka, Financial Services and Fintech Sector Engagement Manager,  ksenia.siedlecka@ei.ed.ac.uk