Future is FinTech

This online course will provide an overview of the evolution of fintech (the use of technology applied to financial services) and how it is replacing and refreshing many aspects of traditional financial services.

“'FinTech' will soon become synonymous with 'financial services' around the world.” Business Insider FinTech Report 2019

Innovative businesses are taking advantage of the application of fintech to develop new services that give consumers more choice about how they manage their money.

The adoption of FinTech applications increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. While the sharp rise in FinTech adoption made financial services more efficient and diverse, it also escalated some concerns about the “dark” side of FinTech. For example, while legitimate lending apps drive the increments in FinTech adoption, an increase in predatory and fraudulent apps has also been observed (Fu & Mishra, 2022) highlighting downsides of the FinTech revolution.

Inspired by this new trend in financial services, various governments, regulators, and companies developed new programs. The Bank of England developed the Future of Finance initiative to explore the changes in the financial sector and their potential effects on monetary and financial stability. In 2021, the Kalifa Fintech Review was published to support the growth and widespread adoption of UK fintech, and maintain the UK’s global fintech reputation.

This course is intended for those who have some prior experience working in finance and those who wish to reskill in this area. The course is a response to the growing need to create highly skilled jobs across the UK, boost trade, and extend the UK’s competitive edge over other leading fintech hubs.

Participants will gain an understanding of how technological advancements and regulations have substantially altered how financial services are delivered. In addition, they will learn about the ethical, legal and security challenges that have arisen as a result of the disruptive nature of the application of fintech.

The course will be taught through online sessions consisting of lectures and practical workshops.

This online course is designed to help industry practitioners, professionals, regulators, and investors critically assess disruptions in the finance industry driven by technological advancements. The programme would appeal to those already working in FinTech as well as those who are keen to develop their knowledge of the area.

Over the course of 10 weeks, you will cover the following topics:

1. Introductory FinTech fundamentals and terminology.
2. Blockchain technology and its applications for the financial sector.
3. Alternative finance sources, such as equity crowdfunding.
4. The use of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in finance.
5. The transformative role of technology in trading.
6. The risks and regulations of FinTech.
7. New trends in FinTech, including InsurTech and Sustainable Digital Finance.
8. The importance of design in the adoption of FinTech applications.

This is a 10 week course, comprising a total of 50-60 hours study. Each subject is broken down into a series of manageable modules, made up of three or four different topics. You will be able to:

1. Engage with the pre-recorded lectures (one per topic) in your own time
2. Access recommendations for additional resources and further reading
3.  Engage with the University of Edinburgh faculty, industry experts, and the cohort in interactive live panel sessions
4.  Discuss the particular case studies about your companies with the teaching team.

Live sessions will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 18 September to 16 November from 1-2pm via Zoom

Course fees for 23/24 are £1,850 but funded places are available for people employed or unemployed in Scotland (residency requirements apply).

Funding

Through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) Upskilling Fund, a limited number of fully-funded places are available on Data Upskilling Short Courses at The University of Edinburgh.

Eligibility

Funded places are available to those who meet SFC fee waiver criteria:

“Courses/provision is open to all Scottish-domiciled/’home fee’ students, which is consistent with SFC’s policy for core funded student places. Students from the rest of the UK (rUK) are not normally considered eligible for SFC funding. If however a university is working with a Scottish/UK employer which has a physical presence or operating in Scotland, rUK employees of that employer would be eligible.”

If you are from outside Scotland, you need to have settled status in the UK and meet other residency criteria:

•  be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years immediately before course start date, and
• have ‘settled status’ in the UK (as set out in the Immigration Act 1971) at the course start date, and
• be ordinarily resident in Scotland at the course start date.

You can find out more about residency criteria on the SAAS website  or in this summary.

Funding eligibility will be assessed at the point of each application for each course; you may be asked to provide further information if you do not meet the general residence conditions. You can check your likely fee status here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/tuition-fees/fee-status/work-out Please email us at upskilling@ed.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your funding eligibility before applying.

Please note that full-time students (including full-time PhD students) are not eligible for funding.

What is received upon completion?

You will receive a certificate of completion

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