SBS Blog > From Equations to Economies: my MSc FinTech experience by Innes Roberts

From Equations to Economies: my MSc FinTech experience

By Innes Roberts - Posted on 17 December 2025

Innes Roberts is an MSc Financial Technology graduate and, thanks to a course event, he met with an AI research lead which led to his Cambridge internship. In today’s blog he advises future students to get involved and make networks that will last a lifetime and create opportunities.

I studied Mathematics and Physics at undergraduate level because I wanted to understand how the world works. I chose FinTech as a postgraduate to understand the systems that shape society and to put my technical skills to work.

I chose Strathclyde Business School for my MSc as it has a practical and quantitative approach with strong links to industry. The staff were extremely supportive and genuinely invested in our success. I was also impressed by the award-winning careers service and the quality of connections to employers. A Strathclyde Business School Scholarship gave me the final push to commit.

The MSc focuses on the practical application of quantitative finance, machine learning, AI, and emerging fintech innovations while allowing students to develop rich industry and academic contacts. Day to day we cleaned data properly, tested models, and explained technical insights in plain English. It’s a programme that is demanding in the right way and supportive when you need it.

During the year, I got involved with the Strathclyde FinTech Society and have since taken on a role as FinTech Lead. I took part in the AmplifyMe simulation bootcamp and my team won an award for raising the most investor funding. I also joined the Bloomberg Trading Challenge and learned a lot about discipline and execution. Our team reached the Climate Investment Challenge 2025 semi final, where we explored sustainable finance questions and used geospatial data to frame risk and impact.

There was ‘useful learning’ across the programme - we heard from practitioners across banking, asset management, and start ups. A standout was Paul Taylor, Head of the International Commercial Bank at Bank of America. Strathclyde Business School ran events that brought senior leaders onto campus and at one of these I met the AI research lead whose project later became my Cambridge internship. I recently started as an AI Research Analyst Intern with the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance on its AI in Financial Services study with partners that include the Bank for International Settlements, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.

Additionally, through the FinTech Society I helped run technical workshops and panels that connected students with industry. The AmplifyMe bootcamp I mentioned was also an incredible opportunity to gain hands on experience in asset management, investment banking and trading.

I made sure to take advantage of the Careers support at Strathclyde - I used CV reviews, interview tips, and employer events to help me. The team also pointed me toward simulations and case competitions - that mix of feedback and opportunity made a real difference to my confidence.

During the programme, I acquired lots of technical skills including Python, R, and MATLAB for data analysis and model building, machine learning methods applied to finance, option pricing and model validation, risk analysis for financial institutions, equity and bond valuation, and portfolio optimisation. I learned the essentials of blockchain strategy, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts, and I used the Bloomberg Terminal for data and analytics. I also gained foundations in sustainable finance and geospatial analytics for risk assessment, including how location aware data can inform exposure, transition risk, and physical risk.

Professional skills included teamwork and collaboration, reflection and structured self assessment, public speaking and presentation, clear technical writing, stakeholder engagement through society work, and coordination under time pressure during AmplifyMe and the Bloomberg challenge. As a result of my studies, I feel I have learned a lot of skills and keep an eye on emerging trends. For example, I am interested in generative AI and large language models for research and workflow automation and regularly use retrieval augmented generation for financial tasks; I study model governance in regulated settings; I follow open banking and modern payments; I track tokenisation of real world assets; I explore core ideas from decentralised finance such as automated market makers and liquidity provision; I watch stablecoins and central bank digital currencies at a high level; I use alternative data for event driven analytics; and I read about regtech for KYC and AML with a focus on privacy and security.

In terms of advice to anyone considering the programme, I’d say ‘get involved’: join the FinTech Society, try a simulation, enter a challenge, and use the careers service early. Pick a theme you enjoy and pursue it tirelessly. Build a small portfolio of notebooks that show how you think. Keep your projects tidy, test your ideas and assumptions carefully. Ask one good question at every talk and help your peers. I truly believe the network you build here will last a lifetime and will open doors.