Digital Transformation

The Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL) is delighted to launch the first of its microcredential portfolio, Digital Transformation, with a focus on risk and compliance. The objective of this short course is to assist industry practitioners to develop their understanding of digital transformation and consider the role those technological advancements, such as AI, are playing in disrupting risk and compliance in the finance industry.

This short course will guide participants to understand how technology can enable the formulation of a clear strategic vision and planned approach to streamlining regulatory and compliance processes whilst reducing risk to the organisation. 

About the Course

Delivered over six weeks, participants will engage in self-directed learning via online, pre-recorded lecture materials and activities at a time which suits their schedules. To complete each of the undernoted four online elements of this course will require around two to three hours per week.

• Definitions and Impacts of Digital Transformation
• Developing Digital Capability
• Leading Digital Organisational Change
• Making Priority Digital Recommendations

 

On Campus Regulatory Capstone Session

Upon completion of the online elements of Digital Transformation, participants will be invited to join us for a one day, in-person campus session, which will be delivered in three parts:

• Consolidation: Participants will explore why a planned approach to digital transformation is an important aspect to enabling the application of automation to simplify regulatory compliance. This approach will allow practitioners to develop an understanding of how to manage the challenges and risks which automation brings.
• Demonstration: Participants will hear from practitioners who have successfully navigated those challenges and they will provide participants with useful insights from what they have learned through exploring the challenges, benefits and impact of the adopted solution.
• Application: The session will end with participants getting the opportunity to consolidate this learning by putting what they’ve learned into practice. In groups, they will focus on a client case study, research options to resolve the challenges faced and present their recommendations to the client.

 

Target Audience	This short course has been developed for practitioners in the finance sector, particularly those working within risk and compliance.
Fee	£750
Duration of Study	6 weeks: online study followed by one day in person.
Delivery Dates	Various – once we have sufficient expressions of interest, you will be invited to register for the course. To express your interest or if you have any further questions, please email sbs-fril@strath.ac.uk.
Delivery Mode	Blended – Online, self-directed followed by in-person.
Credits and  Certification	Participants who complete the online and on-campus elements of the course, including assessment, will receive 10 credits at SCQF Level 11.

The first delivery of this course has passed but we’ll maintain expressions of interest and run it again if there is interest

 

 

The Evolving World of Work

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is significantly impacting the global economy and job market, creating both opportunities and challenges, with AI being a transformative force which is reshaping industries worldwide. According to PwC (2024), developments using AI are projected to contribute over $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, with the World Economic Forum (2025) forecasting that AI will disrupt almost 40% of existing jobs worldwide, transforming key skillsets required over the course of the next 5 years. 

The CIPD (2025) predicts that AI will boost global productivity, with 729 million people forecast to use AI tools in their daily working lives by 2030, which is a significant increase from the level of use seen currently. However, effective adoption of AI tools is hindered by skills and knowledge gaps, which is exacerbated by concerns around risks and controls. Given the rapid pace of change in technology, mainly driven by the advent of GenAI, organisations must provide opportunities for their staff to upskill or reskill to understand and embrace the technology to gain competitive advantage.

By investing in AI training and short courses, organisations can create and retain a pipeline of talent, address skills shortages, and improve overall productivity in an increasingly AI-driven economy. No matter where you are in your AI journey, our AI Literacy suite of microcredentials is designed to empower professionals at every level, building knowledge and supporting practical application. This will drive innovation adoption and future-proof skills.

AI Literacy:  Suite of 5 microcredentials

Our AI Literacy Suite is an educational framework designed to help participants understand and engage with AI in a structured and progressive manner. The suite consists of five different learning stages, each with ten sections, to cater for a range of existing knowledge levels, backgrounds and roles. The pathway helps guide learners, from curious beginners with no technical background to more advanced users like data scientists or business executives, in developing a comprehensive understanding of AI technologies, applications, risks, and ethical considerations to support adoption.

Our pathway encourages a step-by-step approach, allowing learners to build on their knowledge and capabilities over time, with the ultimate goal of equipping them with the skills and insights needed to responsibly and effectively engage with and leverage AI in their respective fields. Each persona is designed to support an appropriate level of knowledge and skills, meaning that you can select which persona is appropriate for your personal development goals. Follow the pathway from a particular starting point or choose a single persona to study as a standalone short course.  An outline of each persona and course content is shown below. Further information on course fees, delivery model and content, can be accessed below.

Successful completion of the assessment associated with each course awards post graduate level credits. However, the option exists not to undergo the assessment and simply receive certification of attendance and completion. There may also be the opportunity to stack credits towards a post graduate qualification, such as a PgCert, depending upon the pathway chosen.

The skills team would be happy to answer any questions or provide further details of the course. They can be contacted at sbs-fril@strath.ac.uk.

Our persona-based AI Literacy Suite is designed with specific learning objectives for each persona – AI Curious, AI Explorer, AI Enthusiast, AI Advanced and AI Executive – so learners know what skills and knowledge they will acquire by the end of their chosen pathway. Overall, our courses will deliver key learning outcomes covering:

Foundational Knowledge

• Understanding the history, evolution, and basic functionality of AI.
• Introduction to AI concepts (e.g., machine learning, neural networks, natural language processing).

Practical Applications

• Overview of how AI is applied across industries.
• Case studies and real-world examples to illustrate the impact of AI.

Ethics and Governance

• Tuition on AI ethics, bias, transparency, and accountability.
• Regulatory frameworks and policies, including global vs regional vs local variation and similarities.

AI for Business and Strategy

• Understanding the strategic importance of AI for organisations.
• Guidance on incorporating AI into business models, innovation strategies, and decision-making processes.

Hands-on Learning

• Activities to enable practical application and embed learning.

 

AI Curious

The AI Curious programme is an introduction to this topic designed for those with limited knowledge of AI and is accessible to all professionals with a non-technical background. It aims to empower participants with essential knowledge and skills for integrating AI, including Generative AI, into their daily working lives. This comprehensive curriculum goes beyond viewing AI as a mere automation tool, providing participants with useful insights into the skills required to develop their careers and knowledge in a world where technology is evolving at pace.  Participants will explore fundamental AI concepts, learn how to apply them to real-world business challenges, and discover methods to harness AI in order to enhance workflow automation and drive impactful innovation.

 

AI Explorer

The AI Explorer programme is designed for professionals who are keen to start gaining technical skills and knowledge of AI techniques, AI tools, and successful business application of AI. It aims to empower participants with essential knowledge and skills for integrating AI, including Generative AI, into their daily working lives. This comprehensive curriculum goes beyond viewing AI as a mere automation tool, providing participants with useful insights into the skills required to develop their careers and knowledge in a world where technology is evolving at pace.  Participants will build on their fundamental AI knowledge, learning to apply their knowledge to real-world business challenges, and discover methods to harness AI for workflow automation and drive impactful innovation.

 

AI Enthusiast

The AI Enthusiast programme is designed for professionals who support the development of AI solutions and are keen to learn new and emerging AI techniques to increase their capabilities.  It aims to empower participants with essential knowledge and skills for integrating AI, including Generative AI, into their daily working lives. This comprehensive curriculum goes beyond viewing AI as a mere automation tool, providing participants with useful insights into the skills required to develop their careers and knowledge in a world where technology is evolving at pace.  Participants will build on their fundamental AI knowledge, develop a greater understanding of AI methodologies and emerging techniques, learn to apply them to real-world business challenges, and discover methods to harness AI and drive impactful innovation.

 

AI Advanced

The AI Advanced programme is designed for professionals who support the development of AI solutions, are AI savvy individuals with practice experience of leading the development of AI solutions and looking to upskill on advanced and emerging technologies, being able to responsibly deliver AI and demonstrate the business value of AI. It aims to empower participants with essential knowledge and skills for further intergration of AI and generative AI into their daily working lives. This comprehensive curriculum goes beyond viewing AI as a mere automation tool, providing participants with useful insights into the skills required to develop their careers and knowledge in a world where technology is evolving at pace.  Participants will build on their broad AI knowledge, develop a greater understanding of AI methodologies and cutting-edge techniques, learn to apply them responsibly to real-world business challenges, and discover methods to harness AI and drive impactful innovation.

 

AI Executive

The AI Executive programme is designed for senior executives to develop a level of competence and understanding of the tools and functionality of AI and emerging technologies and their integration into business systems. This course will allow participants to develop a broad understanding of how to manage and address AI risks,  implement controls in a regulatory context, develop business strategies to adopt and scale AI and develop skills to communicate AI  effectively in the Boardroom Conversations. This comprehensive curriculum goes beyond viewing AI as a mere automation tool, providing participants with useful insights into the skills required to develop their careers and knowledge in a world where technology is evolving at pace.  Participants will build on their fundamental AI knowledge, learning to apply their knowledge to real-world business challenges, and discover methods to harness AI for workflow automation and drive impactful innovation.

The Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL) is delighted to introduce its short course, Grand Challenges of ESG for Executives, which will consider the challenges from a strategic perspective and the role of the board in understanding and mitigating a wide range of risks in relation to risk and regulatory compliance. This course is worth 10 academic credits at postgraduate level. 

About the Course

The short course will provide a broad overview of governance topics and challenges faced by organisations.  Participants will engage in self-directed learning over the course of 4 weeks via online, pre-recorded lecture materials and activities at a time which suits their schedules.

The time required to complete each of the undernoted four online elements of this course is estimated to be around one to two hours per week.

• Overview of Governance: Perspective, Nature and Context, and the underlying principles of governance
• Strategic Perspective: Leadership, risk and compliance, and the role of the Board in setting organisational strategic direction.
• Culture, Ethics and Social Impact: the role of values, CSR, and ethics in business which impact governance.
• SDGs, measures, and environmental impact: The Road to Net Zero. Impact of SDGs and using data to measure environmental impact.

 

In-person Consolidation Session

Upon completion of the pre-recorded elements of the course, participants will be invited to join us for a half-day session, potentially online, which will focus on Strategic Perspective including Board responsibilities, the role in managing risk and compliance in relation to ESG, ratings agencies, measuring impact and materiality. It is anticipated that this session will be arranged for early October. All participants will be consulted on proposed dates.

Target Audience	This short course has been developed for senior practitioners in the finance sector, particularly those working within risk and compliance.
Fee	This course is usually offered at £1200 per participant. If there are funding opportunities available, we may be able to offer this course at a discounted rate.
Duration of Study & Delivery mode	Each course will last around 6 weeks: There will be a number of activities to be completed over the course of 4 weeks of online, self-directed learning followed by an in person, consolidation session.
Delivery Dates	The Autumn 2024 delivery of the course has now concluded. However, if you wish to register your interest in a future delivery or have any further questions, please email the FRIL Skills team,  sbs-fril@strath.ac.uk.
Credits and  Certification	Participants who complete the online and on-campus elements of the course, including assessment, will receive 10 credits at Masters level (SCQF 11).

In line with the demand-led principle on which FRIL is premised, the optimal impact from the skills development programme will occur when there is close collaboration between academia and industry. We envisage a number of levels of engagement with industry and these are set out below, with time commitments outlined for guidance purposes:

Engagement Level (in increasing order of involvement)	Description	Time Commitment across a Quarter (Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) basis – can be shared across multiple people)
Reviewer	Review skills gap analysis at a quarterly employer forum, attended by circa 20 to 30 stakeholders, as well as reviewing and discussing proposals for targeted microcredential development. Development will be aligned with each of the innovation challenges identified and research white papers developed. Skills team will provide written response on how proposals have been progressed and proposed timescales for content delivery. Potential reviewers: compliance officers; regulatory professionals; risk analysts; risk managers; technologists; HR learning and development executives; senior managers and executives.	1-2 working days
Contributor	Work as a part of a technical expert group or skills sub group to provide detailed input through discussions with the academic and skills team into the design of the microcredential content framework. Contribute to surrounding discussions, such as learning outcomes, delivery models, assessment and minimum skills requirements related to participants. Contributions will be explicitly acknowledged as part of each microcredential framework design. Assist with the promotion of microcredentials within own organisation as well as wider network. Potential contributors: compliance officers; regulatory professionals; risk analysts; risk managers; technologists; HR learning and development executives.	1-3 working days
Co-Creator	Work as a content co-creator with the academic delivery team, contributing directly to the creation of course content. This may include developing content planners, designing supporting teaching materials such as PowerPoints, collaborating with the digital learning team to develop pre-recorded short lectures for use in blended learning delivery, reviewing and approving content, content delivery or guest lecturing. Co-creator contributions will be explicitly acknowledged and in line with company policy.  Potential co-creators: compliance officers; regulatory professionals; risk analysts; risk managers; technologists; HR learning and development executives; global practitioners.	Content Creation: 4 working days   Content Delivery: 3 working days

Academic Quality

FRIL will follow normal conventions for the approval, development and delivery of high-quality academic materials and participant experience, through alignment with University academic regulations, policies and quality assurance practices.