Launching the QMUL Financial Inclusion Initiative to Support Undergraduate Students
CCLS launches a new student-led project designed to provide free, practical, and jargon-free legal financial education to undergraduate students.
The Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at Queen Mary University of London is proud to announce the development of a new student-led project designed to provide free, practical, and jargon-free legal financial education to undergraduate students, empowering them to navigate financial opportunities and challenges with confidence..
Spearheaded by postgraduate LLM student Sergio Turano, the initiative benefits from a robust cross-disciplinary partnership. The project operates under the academic guidance of Professor Rosa Lastra, Director of the Institute of Banking and Finance Law, alongside Eliza Platts-Mills, Senior Lecturer at qLegal, who oversees the clinical legal education framework. The team is further strengthened by the economic and data expertise of Dr. Eileen Tipoe from the School of Economics and Finance, and strategic advice from Charles Randell, former Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The core mission of the initiative aligns with Queen Mary’s unique civic identity. While many students already possess strong practical money management skills, navigating the modern financial landscape requires specific educational support. The project proactively champions financial inclusion by demystifying the legal mechanics of these systems, empowering students to navigate complex financial challenges with confidence.
What sets this project apart is its commitment to student co-design. Rather than imposing a top-down curriculum, the initiative is currently in an active scoping phase. Through informal chats, campus pop-ups, and a strategic partnership with the QMUL Students' Union, the team is directly asking undergraduates what financial topics they find most confusing and how they like to learn.
In Semester 1 of the upcoming academic year, specially trained qLegal postgraduate students will collaborate with undergraduates using Legal Design principles to co-design the curriculum. Looking ahead to Semester 2, the team will roll out a fully developed series of peer-to-peer, interactive workshops. This creates a dual benefit: undergraduates receive vital, accessible guidance on financial law, while postgraduates gain valuable clinical legal education and public engagement experience.