Category Archives: Studies

ICMA Centre Launches New Portfolio Simulation Platform

The International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Centre has announced the launch of a new Portfolio Simulation Platfrom.

ICMA Centre Launches New Portfolio Simulation Platform

The new web-based ICMA Centre portfolio simulation platform that has been developed by StockTrak Inc and customised by Dr George Alexandridis allows students to trade securities in most major markets around the world in real time and build and manage large portfolios.

MSc and BSc students at the ICMA Centre that take the portfolio management course are involved in an assessed group project where they have to build and evaluate a hypothetical portfolio with securities of their choice using real time data.

Dr George Alexandridis, Lecturer in Finance at the ICMA Centre said: “Our custom made portfolio simulation platform and other simulations used in the centre can really help us bridge the gap between theory and practice and progress the students’ learning experience to a higher level. Students can apply the tools they learn in the class and improve their investment skills. It is very much like real-life on-line trading platform that not only allows students to get some hands-on experience but also ignites a spirit of competition in the class room. Moreover, it helps improve students’ investment awareness and potential in securing better jobs after graduation”

The MSc Portfolio Management challenge runs between January and April by Professor Jacques Pezier. Each group of students is required to submit a detailed report where they critically explain and justify their trades and profitability compared to appropriate benchmarks. The final winners are determined based on both their final profit and reports. This allows for students to be evaluated on their critical judgment as well as their skills of practically applying what they learn from core courses such as portfolio management and derivative markets.

The ICMA Centre is one of the very few Business Schools in the UK that have adopted similar portfolio simulation platforms that are becoming an essential training tool in business, finance and executive education.

About the ICMA
The International Capital Market Association (ICMA) is the self-regulatory organisation and trade association for the international securities market. Its primary role is to oversee the fast-changing marketplace through the issuing of rules and recommendations relating to trading and settlement practices.

ICMA currently has over 400 members in almost 50 countries and has a proven track record in representing their interests. In addition to its regulatory role, ICMA also provides its member firms – and other users – with a range of services, products and support, including investment management, studies into Islamic finance and FSA compliance training.

Via EPR Network
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Marylhurst University Adds New Online MBA Curriculum Focused Around Sustainability

Marylhurst University will expand its graduate program this summer and offer a new online MBA in sustainable business to meet a growing need in one of the few industries that is adding, not cutting jobs, thanks in part to the 2009 federal stimulus bill.

Marylhurst University

Concentrations within the new degree program will address the most pertinent sustainability topics: renewable energy, green development, natural resources and public policy. Inaugural classes in the new program begin June 22, and enrollment is underway.

With $62 billion in direct green spending, plus another $20 billion in tax incentives allocated in the 2009 stimulus bill, jobs in sustainability are growing in almost every industry. The bill specifically allocates $500 million for the creation of green jobs. In addition, many states are creating their own green job initiatives.

“We have collaborated with industry leaders to create a relevant and compelling curriculum in sustainability,” said David Plotkin, Marylhurst University provost. “Each course has been written to incorporate the important issues pertaining to the green movement. Being in Portland, one of America’s greenest cities, gives us a strategic advantage to be a leader in this area.”

The new MBA concentration in sustainability becomes the second concentration (joining real estate) available solely online at Marylhurst. The university has the highest combined on-ground and online enrollment of any MBA program in Oregon. The program’s small, seminar-style classes provide a strong grounding in ethics, teamwork and communication to students preparing to become leaders in today’s fast-paced global marketplace.

As a longtime education provider to “non-traditional” students, Marylhurst was among the first to offer online classes (since 1996), and the university is recognized by the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning for its “comprehensively effective practices in serving adult learners.” This includes a 2004 CAEL Institutional Service Award for “outstanding commitment to the expansion of lifelong learning opportunities and for innovative efforts to improve access and quality in academic programs for adult learners.”

With a multimillion-dollar campus-wide reconstruction completed over the past decade, Marylhurst is undergoing tremendous growth, though that hasn’t changed the university’s commitment to providing a personalized education to all students.

“While the student population is growing, we are still maintaining small class sizes, adhering to high faculty standards and staying true to our commitment to developing ethical leaders,” said Mary Bradbury-Jones, accelerated online program director.

For more information on the Marylhurst MBA program, visit: 
http://bit.ly/marylhurst-online-mba-sustainability

About Marylhurst University
Marylhurst University, a private liberal arts university located 10 miles south of Portland, Oregon, offers professional certificates and degrees for undergraduate and graduate studies. Marylhurst’s small, seminar-style classes – which are offered weekdays, evenings, weekends and online – provide many educational options for students with busy lives.

Via EPR Network
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