Meet Dr Zeeshan Syed, Lecturer in Finance, Programme Leader for Financial Technology and Director of International Recruitment here at Salford Business School. After starting as a seminar tutor, Zeeshan discovered he has a talent for turning ‘daunting’ financial terms into clear, accessible information for students.
Today, he focuses on research in financial technology (FinTech) and leads projects that improve outcomes for people and communities in the UK and beyond. He also creates innovative teaching methods that help students apply their skills and knowledge to real projects.
In this blog, we talk to Zeeshan about why he chose to work at the University of Salford, his favourite memories and the research he’s currently working on.
How did you get into academia as a career path?
I started teaching as a Seminar Tutor at Salford while completing my PhD in Finance. The aim was to get into either equity research, trading or a corporate actions analyst role. However, I quickly realised I had found my perfect metier and loved teaching, bringing finance to life in the classroom. I got a real buzz from making ‘scary’ topics feel simple and seeing students’ confidence grow week by week.
Why did you choose to work at the University of Salford?
Salford backed me early, trusted me with responsibility, and gave me the space to build something meaningful – especially in FinTech, a future-focused discipline. It’s also a place where inclusion and real impact genuinely matter.
What’s the best thing about being an academic at Salford?
It’s the freedom to innovate and the chance to see the impact up close. I love designing learning that’s practical (coding, dashboards, trading) and then watching students turn those skills into real outcomes.
Can you tell us about any of your career highlights to-date?
Launching and growing MSc FinTech programme has been a huge highlight, including major recruitment growth and strong student progression. I also loved being Exchange Coordinator, helping students get their first passport and take that brave step abroad. I’m also proud to be recognised and winning the Most Empowering Staff Award (2025).
What’s your current research focused on?
My research sits where FinTech meets real-life, for example, financial biodiversity, financing the circular economy, algorithmic trading, and how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing finance and auditing. I’m especially interested in work that supports better outcomes for people and communities, not just “cool tech.”
See the list of work at Worktribe and Google Scholar to get a feel of my contribution to the discipline of Finance at Dr Zeeshan Syed and Zeeshan Ali Syed – Google Scholar.
Do you have any published papers we can read?
There are three research papers that best showcase my work:
- ‘Unlocking green technology adoption: exploring influential factors and the moderating influence of environmentally responsible behaviour.’ Behaviour & Information Technology (2025).
- ‘How to manage portfolios in different clusters? An unsupervised machine learning approach.’ Economics & Finance (2025).
- ‘Credit Rating and Capital Providers.’ (2023).
The latter two are under review at two prestigious finance journals.
And finally, the all important question, where in Manchester or Salford is best to grab a coffee?
The best place in Manchester to get coffee is the coffee stand next to the University of Salford’s Students’ Union called the Coffee Hut, where coffee meets the energy.