Griffith University’s relationship with the globally recognised Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) continues to strengthen, with finance students set to benefit from a range of enhanced scholarship opportunities in 2018-19.
Through the University’s newly established participation in the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, undergraduate and postgraduate Finance students will see the number of available scholarships to sit CFA exams rise to 16, up from five in previous years.
This is in addition to a range of other benefits to the program for both students and staff, including access to CFA resources for academics, including the CFA curriculum, Financial Analyst journal, and professional and academic articles on contemporary issues.
There will also be continued opportunities to host joint networking events and seminars, involvement in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, in which Griffith’s team has an outstanding track record, including two victories in the national competition in Sydney and a top-three finish in Asia-Pacific in 2017.
“I am very pleased with how our relationships with CFA Institute as well as the CFA Brisbane Chapter are developing,” Banking and Finance Senior Lecturer Dr Alexandr Akimov said.
“Griffith participation in the new CFA University Affiliation Program opens opportunities to a larger number of talented Griffith students to participate in the CFA program.
“This designation is extremely valuable to enhance prospects of securing top jobs in the industry for our graduating students.”
The affiliation with CFA has already borne fruit for past students, including BDO Brisbane Corporate Finance Analyst and Master of Finance and Investments alumnus Andrew Hack, who credits the scholarship as a major differentiating factor in his career pursuits.
“Receiving a CFA scholarship from Griffith University enabled me to sit two of the three CFA exams prior to graduating,” Andrew said.
“This not only gave me a competitive advantage when looking for graduate positions, but equipped me with a strong foundation of the principles and valuation techniques that I now use as a financial analyst.”
Griffith first partnered with CFA in 2013, when the university became the first in Australia to be admitted to the Institute’s University Recognition Program for Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) students, since extended to Master of Finance students.
The next round of expressions of interest for CFA scholarships is expected to be announced in July-August 2018, when there will be about eight scholarships on offer.