Overview
The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), based at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, offers opportunities for students, early-career professionals and technical experts to gain practical experience in research, policy analysis, data collection and knowledge development in the field of alternative finance and digital financial innovation.
The current research themes of the CCAF are:
- Supporting Regulatory Innovation
- Digital Assets and Tokenisation
- Climate and Transition Finance
- Competition and Digital Markets
- Artificial Intelligence in Financial Markets and Financial Market Regulation
- Digital Identity and Data Sharing
- Open Banking and Open Finance.
Internship programmes offered are subject to change and are recruited in line with active research opportunities.
Internship and secondment streams
There are several separate internship streams and a secondment stream. The secondment stream is accessible to those who are in the field of financial regulation.
Internships open to Cambridge Judge Business School students
The CCAF is open for internship applications from current MBA and MFin students at Judge Business School. Opportunities will be posted via Handshake.
Contributing to the 2026 Global AI in Financial Services Report as a student researcher has been one of the most meaningful professional experiences of my career. This is the first time I’ve been involved in research on this scale and the experience has been both rewarding and humbling.
What strikes me most was how seamlessly the team operated. Everyone brought something different to the table, be it deep technical knowledge, analytical rigour, and a genuine warmth that made collaboration feel effortless. Working with such intelligent and empathetic individuals reminded me that great research is not just about data, it is also about people and a great leadership.
My role involved gathering survey responses which turned out to be far more challenging than I had anticipated but equally rewarding. Every response felt like a small win. I also had the opportunity to contribute to the chapter on regulation, drawing on my regulatory background to examine how financial regulators are navigating the AI landscape. It was gratifying to see that experience translate meaningfully into the work.
More than anything, I leave this project with insights and experiences I know I will carry into everything I do next. I am grateful to have been part of it.
Internships open to other students, early-career professionals and technical experts
The CCAF is open to students, early-career professionals and technical experts to apply to become an intern in the above thematic research areas. The CCAF’s internship programme has a remote-first approach and is therefore open to applications from around the world.
Learn more about internships for other students, early career professionals and technical experts
A bespoke CCAF secondment targeted at those working for policy/regulatory authorities in the domain of fintech
The Secondment Programme is offered to those whose field of profession is in fintech or regulation innovation, financial regulation, central bank or other relevant policy/regulator authority, including being in charge in the creation and implementation of regulatory frameworks.
The secondment is primarily for those who want to work with an experienced team to aid them in the specialisation.