Aliya inspiring others after landing global bank role

An internship helping to catch banking fraudsters has led to a full-time position earning more than £34,000 a year for University of Bradford student Aliya Iqbal.

She has started a graduate role with HSBC Group, after securing first-class honours from her BEng (Hons) Software Engineering degree in July 2026.

Splitting her time between HSBC’s sites in Canary Wharf and Sheffield, Aliya is working within Corporate and Investment Banking Technology (CIB Tech), where her daily focus is on global payment solutions, which are financial technology systems and banking platforms for businesses to send, receive, and manage funds across international borders.

This role follows a successful internship with HSBC the previous year, where Aliya, 23, worked in financial crime prevention, building and maintaining database tools designed to catch fraudsters. Her graduate base pay at HSBC is £34,000+, with bonuses based on performance, with additional perks also available.

She said: “During my internship, a huge part of the process was just mapping out how HSBC Group is structured globally, simply because it’s such a massive organisation.

“Moving into global payment solutions in CIB Tech, I’m really looking forward to building on that experience and taking on new challenges.”

Inspiring others

Aliya came from a science-based background and initially intended to pursue a career in medicine. However, during her A-level studies and the pandemic, Aliya’s interest in technology grew.

Fascinated by developments in AI and encouraged by conversations with her father, she made the decision to switch to BEng (Hons) Software Engineering from her initial BSc Clinical Sciences programme at Bradford.

She said: “As a kid, I used to take apart computers with my dad and put them back together.

“Eventually, I had to admit to myself that engineering was what I truly enjoyed. As much as I respected medicine, technology was where my future was.”

‘The path I was meant to take’

Despite making the transition without any background in computer science, Aliya embraced the challenge.

She said: “At first, I worried I’d struggle against students who had been coding for years, but the lecturers at Bradford were incredible. They went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed to succeed.

“Bradford gave me the skills and confidence to build a career in something I love.

“I grew so much during my time at Bradford. The University backed me in every aspect of my life, and looking at where I am now, this was definitely the path I was meant to take.”

Clearing call

Places are available on the University’s School of Computing and Engineering programmes through Clearing.
Engineering courses, including Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Software, Biomedical, are available to start this September.

The BEng (Hons) Software Engineering is accredited by the British Computer Society for full CITP (Chartered IT Professional) status and partial CEng.

Bradford’s BEng (Hons) Software Engineering and Computer Science programmes share a common first year, giving students the chance to transfer between programmes at the end of their first year if they wish to.

Clearing 2026 runs until 9 October, offering prospective students the chance to secure a place at University. Prospective students may include adult learners who want to return to education.

The University of Bradford Clearing phone line – 0808 196 9129 – is open now and you can also apply online.

Sign up for the University’s On-demand Clearing Hub which offers more details on courses, virtual tours, applications tips, and further support.

Cover Image (caption): HSBC’s site in Canara Wharf, London, where Aliya spends some of her time for her graduate role with the banking group. Images credit: University of Bradford