Bradford MSc Fintech students will be ready for world of crypto
Postgraduates looking to build expertise in the realm of ‘fin-tech’ (financial technology), including things like blockchain and cryptocurrencies, can take advantage of a new programme at the University of Bradford.
MSc Fin-Tech at Bradford was launched last year, and course leaders say they expect an increase, with enrolments taking place in September and January.
Dr Marizah Minhat, Associate Professor in Finance and Economics in the School of Management (which is currently Times Higher Education Business School of the Year), has written and engaged in research relating to a niche area of fintech – her research team has produced a report entitled ‘Cryptocurrencies: Risk and Governance’ for the Malaysian accounting body and is in the process of producing a research article that includes the UK market. She has also founded the Responsible Fintech Research Group in the School to advance the research agenda.
She said graduates with a background in fin-tech would be well placed to work with start-up companies hoping to gain a foothold in the market and government agencies or regulatory bodies looking to regulate this financial sector.
“We introduced the MSc Financial Technology last year and it has been popular, and we expect this (the number) to increase, because of the level of interest in financial technology and things like cryptocurrencies.
“It is clear that financial technology is going to play a much larger role in our economies, and cryptocurrencies are part of that. Governments around the world are looking at ways of regulating this market, so graduates who have an understanding of how things like blockchain and crypto work will be better placed to get jobs in this field.”
Market regulation
Dr Minhat said more regulation of cryptocurrencies was necessary in order to create a more stable market place.
“We need more regulation, because at the moment, the price of these currencies is volatile. Prices can swing massively in a very short time, often due to nothing more than a tweet on social media.
“If we see money as a force for public good and we want to embrace this new technology, then regulation is essential. The other point to make is that at the moment, cryptocurrencies are part of privately produced asset class. In other words, no-one knows who is ‘the third person’ monitoring or controlling the system.
"There is excitement about the possibility of entering the digital currency market - for example with products called CBDCs (central bank digital currencies) - but if crypto is to rival our current fiat-based system, and be a store of value, it needs to be much more stable.”
She added: “FinTech professionals need analytical and critical thinking skills to find solutions to such problems. This new MSc degree in FinTech will equip graduates with the skills needed to build a career in the rapidly expanding financial technology field.”