ISB and UCLA Anderson School of Management to launch a unique programme on Financial Engineering

Oct. 21, 2008 - PRLog -- Hyderabad, May 9, 2008: The Indian School of Business (ISB) and the University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management (UCLA Anderson), will be jointly launching a first of its kind executive programme in Financial Engineering in July 2008. The programme has been specially designed for financial experts managing large assets for companies and individuals with high net worth, to develop deep domain knowledge in the discipline of financial engineering.

“I am delighted with the association of the ISB with UCLA Anderson. The programme is an outcome of several meetings with corporate leaders in the finance industry, financial experts, and policy makers, who expressed the need for finance professionals to understand the vibrant nature of a changing India in the world economy.,” said Dean M Rammohan Rao. “This programme will be extremely beneficial to finance professionals and will equip them with an accurate and precise knowledge of up to date financial economics and financial practice,” he added.

"Organizations today operate in global financial markets that are experiencing explosive changes and fluctuations," says Judy D. Olian, Dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management. "Consequently, the level of financial and technical savvy required by firms has accelerated the demand for well-trained financial engineers. The ISB-UCLA Anderson partnership is creating a unique six month format that maximizes the strengths and academic prominence of both schools in a rigorous and intense programme,” adds Olian.

The fast pace of growth in the Indian finance market has created a huge need for managers who can anticipate and solve the various issues involved in the management of assets. “The ISB is committed to making world class management education accessible to as many people as possible. With the influx of new wealth into the Indian economy, finance professionals have to manage large assets. This executive programme will help finance professionals make informed decisions on large investments and asset portfolio management of companies, and individuals,” said Deepak Chandra, Associate Dean, Centre for Executive Education at the ISB.

“Through this programme we will provide students with a world-class academic experience that integrates a technically challenging curriculum with practical know-how," says Bhagwan Chowdhry, Professor of Finance at UCLA Anderson School of Management. “Participants will be better equipped to face the complex demands of the market,” adds Chowdhry.

The programme has a high quantitative focus and is open to all finance professionals; participants from UCLA Anderson will be attending some of the modules. The programme will be delivered between July and December in four teaching modules of one-week each, one module per month. Module one would be mandatory for all the participants as it includes understanding the fundamental principles of financial engineering. The remaining three modules would be optional with a choice of taking any one, two, or all of the other modules, depending upon the participants’ professional interest. The last two months will involve project work supervised by the ISB and UCLA Anderson faculty members.

The four modules of the programme are:

Core Concepts
Quantitative Asset Management
Financial Risk Management Security Research, Analysis, and Valuation
Faculty from both ISB and UCLA have jointly designed the programme. Leading experts and award winning finance faculty from both the schools will conduct the programme and supervise the projects. The impressive faculty list includes two former American Finance Association presidents as well.

About the ISB

The Indian School of Business is a premier management institution established in 2001. In a short span of seven years, the ISB has successfully pioneered several new trends in management education in India and has established itself as a leading B-school across the world. In both its Post Graduate Programme in Management and Executive Education Programmes, the ISB invites high calibre international faculty from reputed B-schools to teach and participate in collaborative research with the strong pool of research oriented, resident faculty at the ISB. The ISB has academic associations with the Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School, and the London Business School and was recently ranked 20 among top 100 B-schools by Financial Times, London.

About UCLA Anderson

UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the very best business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty are ranked #1 in "Intellectual Capital" by BusinessWeek and are renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Furthermore, the finance faculty is ranked #1 in research publications in the four leading peer-reviewed journals by the Financial Management Association. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,600 students enrolled in MBA, Executive MBA, Fully-Employed MBA and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 35,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.

For further details, contact:
Bhuvana Ramalingam
+91 40 2318 7431
bhuvana_r@isb.edu

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The Indian School of Business is a premier B-school established in 200l, with academic associations with the Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School, and the London Business School.