Department of
Banking & Finance

Today's world faces unprecedented challenges and complexities. The finance and banking industry is at the forefront of many of these challenges, which are both diverse and pressing, ranging from financial crises to digital transformation, economic slow-downs, cost-of-living crises, debt sustainability and climate change.

The Department of Banking and Finance has been set up to address many of these issues in a rigorous quantitative manner through both research and education. Our work is based on the use of complex, and often large datasets, the consideration of sophisticated but practical empirical methodologies, and on solid theoretical economic and financial underpinnings. Areas of relevance include financial markets, central banks and other policy-making institutions. We also have broader interests, and some of our current work evaluates how we can use Big Data and Machine Learning to aid financial and economic analysis.

Our educational offerings are mainly postgraduate and focus on banking, asset pricing and data analytics. Applicability and an emphasis on providing skills for the rapidly innovating finance industry rare paramount. Our academics have strong links with the finance industry and policy makers as well as with a large number of individual finance professionals who provide their hands-on expertise for the benefit of our students.

MSc in Finance Analytics

The MSc in Finance Analytics helps prepare students for a career in the new world of finance. Recent technological advances mean that huge amounts of financial data are generated every second, fostering new challenges in terms of processing and analysing this data. Finance analytics aims to address these challenges. For example, it can be used to combine the great variety of structured and unstructured data, to filter information and gain valuable insights and to improve forecasts.

Our MSc teaches the fundamentals of finance analytics, focusing on recent developments and applications. It offers academic rigor as well as a unique practitioners’ view of these issues, looking, for example, at how to apply big data to risk management, fintech to banking, text analysis to forecasting, and automation to robo-trading. The programme has been developed in close collaboration with senior industry professionals, who are also involved with teaching several of our modules. Our main industry consultant is Dr Giles Spungin, Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Risk Analytics at Lloyds Banking Group.

MSc in Banking & Finance

The MSc in Banking & Finance is an innovative course designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the finance and banking industry. The course will equip students with essential research, analytical and critical thinking skills. Students will learn about a wide range of topics including the principles of investment analysis, financial derivatives, commercial and investment banking, quantitative financial analysis, and financial statement analysis.

As part of the course, we provide a cutting-edge offering to enhance students’ understanding of databases, software, programming and technology, including programs such as STATA, Matlab, R, Python, etc. In addition to a compulsory dissertation, further related modules are available to instill financial skills geared towards maximizing students’ employability.

MSc in Finance (Asset Pricing)

The MSc in Finance (Asset Pricing) is an innovative course designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the finance industry. The course is developed to combine academic rigor with financial practitioners’ views of finance. Students will learn a wide range of topics including principles of investments, quantitative techniques, asset pricing, financial markets and institutions and corporate finance.

As part of the course, we offer cutting-edge topics to enhance students understanding of databases, software, programming & technology, including program such as STATA, Matlab, R, Python, etc. In addition to a compulsory dissertation, students can choose from a range of other modules that will develop their financial skills and enhance their employability.

MSc in Financial Policy & Regulation

The MSc in Financial Policy and Regulation is designed to introduce students to cutting-edge theoretical and applied research in the fields of financial regulation and monetary policy, focusing, in particular, on data analytics methodologies. By completing this programme, students will gain an in-depth knowledge of the tools of central bank policy and financial regulation and develop the ability to analyse data effectively, using it for evidence-based decision making.

The programme is intended for those planning to pursue a career in finance, with an emphasis on careeer paths in policymaking and regulation, for example in central banks and financial supervision authorities. It targets students with an economics or finance background and some work experience in banking or financial regulation industries.

Online Programmes

MSc in Global Finance & Banking (online)

The MSc in Global Finance & Banking (online) is a CFA-accredited programme that aims to equip students with a critical understanding of analytical methods. an understanding of quantitative (mathematical, statistical and econometric) techniques as they are adopted in the finance industry. the ability to apply core finance theory and reasoning to applied issues. the ability to understand verbal, mathematical, graphical, and econometric representation of financial ideas and arguments. the ability to assess the functioning of the UK and other countries’ financial and banking sectors. and the ability to use the appropriate techniques and econometric packages in order to analyse and interpret statistical data.

MSc in Global Finance Analytics (online)

The MSc in Global Finance Analytics (online) programme offers excellent provision in both theoretical and computational finance through programming. In particular, the programme seeks to provide a research-based and inellectually challenging education that is of practical relevance for financial/business analysts. The programme is driven by a combination of research, theoretical development and critical analysis, and practical application.

Our research in Banking and Finance focuses on the quantitative analysis of economic and financial phenomena. Members of the group have published in top journals in economics, finance, business, and statistics, such as the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Journal of Finance, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Monetary Economics, the Journal of Econometrics, the Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, the Economic Journal and the Annals of Statistics.

Our research has practical implications for corporations, financial institutions, and policy makers, and many group members have been actively involved in policy advice and consulting projects for various central banks and international organizations.

The department regularly hosts a bi-weekly research seminar series for staff and PhD candidates.

The research of the group spans the following core themes:

Financial Econometrics, Big Data and Data Analytics
Banking and Macro-finance
Sustainability, Diversity, and Inclusion in Finance

Our research projects include those looking at

banking efficiency
timely detection of financial crises
forecasting financial and economic variables during financial crises
the effects of monetary and macroprudential policies on the financial system and macroeconomy including unconventional policy in post-crisis periods
interconnectedness across financial systems
the statistical underpinnings of asset pricing and portfolio management in the presence of large datasets

Several of the faculty within the department are involved with Qatar Centre for Global Banking and Finance - a central-bank and financial-market focused research institute funded by Qatar Central Bank. The centre aims to develop cutting-edge research in areas related to policy frameworks under which central banks operate, new and emerging threats to economic stability, and the usage of novel data analytics techniques. In particular, there is a current emphasis on climate risks and how they manifest within the financial system.

We have close collaborations with central banks such as the Bank of England and the European Central Bank, providing them with expertise and modelling support in Macroeconomics, Data Analytics and Finance. In addition, we have close links with statistical agencies such as the Office of National Statistics and Eurostat, again providing expertise and modelling support.

We also collaborate with other schools. One example of such collaboration is with the Indian Institute of Management – Kozhikode (IIMK). As part of this initiative, we are offering a one-week residency program for the Post Graduate Finance students from IIMK, hosting 40 students in Spring 2023. B & F is leading this multi-year partnership with IIMK entailing academic collaborations in areas of research, education, and global impact.

Professor David Aikman

Director of the Qatar Centre for Global Banking & Finance
Dr Angie Andrikogiannopoulou

Reader in Banking and Finance
Dr Anish Augustine

Teaching Fellow in Banking & Finance
Dr Ylva Baeckström

Senior Lecturer in Finance
Professor Richard Baillie

Professor of Banking & Finance
Miss Gulmira Begalina

PhD Student in Banking and Finance
Dr Rhys Michael Bidder

Deputy Director of the Qatar Centre for Global Banking & Finance
Mr Giulio G Colazzo

PhD Student in Banking & Finance
Dr Shulin Deng

Teaching Fellow in Banking and Finance
Mr Ahmet Deryol

PhD Student in Banking & Finance
Dr Marina Dolfin

PhD Student in Banking & Finance
Mr Yao Dong

PhD Student in Banking & Finance