In today's article we speak to Prof. Alvaro Pina Stranger, the coordinator of the Master FinTech Program at the University of Rennes1 in France. 2020 will be the first year that the University of Rennes1, in association with other major European universities will be offering this program, and it is our privilege to spread the word about this within our network. Here's all there is to know about the Master in Financial Technology, or as is commonly known, the MA FinTech Proram.

This year for the first time, the University of Rennes1 in France will be launching the Master FinTech programme. Could you tell us a little bit about this?

The University Rennes1 has been closely following the evolution of the financial industry. In this context, the growing expansion of this sector and the increasing number of applicants interested in obtaining a degree from an applied program with expertise in data management encouraged us to propose an entry and exit point for the EIT Master School Fintech program. With this in mind, we started to search for top-notch institutions that shared our aspiration to offer a high-quality master. Thus we conformed a consortium of eight universities: KTH, Aalto University, U Nice Sophia Antipolis, U Rennes, U Trento, ELTE, Politecnico di Milano and UPM - all of them expecting to train the new generations of computer scientists that will develop this emerging sector and feed the ecosystem through innovation activities, research and original technological solutions in key areas, such as digital finance.

How long is this programme?

The Fintech program lasts two years and can be taken in two different European universities of the consortium: the University of Rennes 1, in France; Alto, in Finland; ELTE, in Hungary; KTH, in Sweden, Nice UCA, in France; POLIMI, in Italy; Trento, in Italy; and UPM, in Spain. Thus, the student can start the entry year in the University of Rennes 1 and finish the exit year, for example, in the University of Trento. Or alternativelly, the student can start the entry year, for example, in ELTE and finish the exit year in the University of Rennes 1, and so on...

What are the entry requirements for students who wish to enrol in this course?

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent. Applicants from the fields of Economics or Administrative Science can apply as long as they can demonstrate a strong formation or experience in informatics. Additionally, candidates should present an innovative technological project to develop along the program. Lastly, proficiency in English must be certified by an international test (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, etc.).

What careers can the students expect to embark on at the end of this course?

It has to be noted that students will have the unique opportunity to work together with the industry at early stages of their studies through company internships. This involvement will allow them to know the financial and technological needs of the public and private sectors, and positively impact the ICT ecosystem in the Rennes Cluster and the great number of companies focusing on FinTech technologies in our city. In case students prefer to follow an academic track, they will be able to do research in major industrial R&D centres as well as to complete a Ph.D. program.

As a department, do you offer any help to students who wish to continue living and working in France once they complete the Master FinTech programme successfully?

Firstly, after concluding the Master program, students can maintain a close relationship with the EIT Digital program by giving feedback on the new industry challenges and supporting the new cohorts, for example, through the narration of their experiences in the formation of the spin-off, including difficulties and successes when executing any of the elements of the business model, among other aspects.

Secondly, as part of its strong commitment to their postgraduates, the organization of the Master School provides an assistance desk throughout the year in order to help students in relation to either work or accommodation. The Centre de Mobilité International de Rennes also provides useful and updated information that will help students to settle in in France.

What is Rennes like as a city for international students?

Hosting 5,500 international students every year, Rennes is a vibrant city and a world-class technological hotspot in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Located in Brittany, the western part of France, the city is a major education and high-tech R&D centre of global renown, where media, telecommunications and information technologies converge. As matter of fact, Rennes has shown many critical breakthroughs in ICT, for example, ATM, MP3, JPEG, OFDM, Turbo codes, and MPEG4. In Rennes our students will definetively become qualified digital innovators and will have the opportunity to join an extraordinary ecosystem of entrepreneurs, companies, students and alumni across the world.

What is the nationality mix that you are expecting to have on this programme?

Students from this program will spend their two study years in two different European universities:  KTH, Aalto University, U Nice Sophia Antipolis, U Rennes, U Trento, ELTE, Politecnico di Milano, UPM. For example: entry year at the university of Rennes 1 and exit year at University of Trento. Or: entry year at the ELTE and exit year at the University of Rennes 1, and so on... So we are definitely expecting students from these countries. However, it would be great to host students from other countries too.

It is worth noting that students of the FinTech master will have many courses in common with their colleagues of the Data Science program. This experience will consolidate the community of the foreign students in Rennes within the EIT Digital Master School.

Where will the students live while they are studying at your university?

The accommodation options in other universities vary. Students may pay for accommodation on the private market with costs in the order of €400-500/month depending on the type of accommodation. Alternatively, the University of Rennes 1 guarantees access to inexpensive rooms (in the order of €160-250/month depending on the type of place). It is worth noting that students can also apply for state subsidies which partially cover these costs.

Why should our agents send students to you?

Students should come to Rennes for at least three reasons: firstly, they will be able to deal with ideas, creativity, business modelling, prototyping, business and market development, agile methodology, lean development, finance, and project management. In this sense, they will be provided with transversal training on management, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Secondly, students will benefit from interesting activities such as meeting sessions every other week, in which researchers, entrepreneurs and fablabs give their feedback and insights on trending topics.

And thirdly, they will have the opportunity to work together with top-notch scientific labs (such as IRISA, CNRS, ENS Rennes, INRIA, INSA, Centrale Supélec, IMT) and economic labs (such as CREM, IGR, Faculty of Economics) located in the centre of an ICT Cluster.

If any of our agents are interested in receiving more information about this interesting course, we encourage you to contact Prof. Pina Stranger on [email protected] or you can get in touch with us, and we will in turn, put you in touch with the team in Rennes.