Supporting students to invest in their futures
For the last decade, Queen¡¯s has been one of only a handful of universities offering its students the rare opportunity to get hands-on experience managing a real money investment portfolio as part of their studies.
The Student Managed Investment Fund currently oversees £100,000 in partnership with Davy Group, the largest wealth manager on the Island of Ireland. The initiative is designed to equip students with practical experience which strengthens their career prospects. Working in the FinTrU Trading Room, they make investment decisions themselves with guidance from a faculty oversight team.
This week, Queen’s celebrated 10 years of the initiative alongside fund supporters, sponsors, students and graduates of the Business School.
Speaking about the Fund, Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy?at Queen’s, Eddie Friel, said: “This practical, hands-on learning option was originally made possible through philanthropic support and its continued success owes a great deal to the sponsors and supporters who helped bring it to life.
“We’ve seen the Fund grow financially but, equally importantly, it has provided huge value in building professional networks,?encouraging mentoring?and supporting student successes.?
“Now worth £100,000, the Fund allows us to reinvest returns to support Travel Scholarships, bursaries, overseas?placements?and summer studentships, all of which enhance the experiences and skills of our students.”
Speaking about her experiences of the Fund, Nursing and Midwifery PhD student and current CEO of the Student Managed Fund, Michael?Gasior, said: “Despite having no formal background in finance, I have felt incredibly welcomed and supported throughout my time in the QSMF, and I am so grateful for the skills I've developed and the people I've met through my involvement with the Fund. At this point, I can't imagine what my time at Queen's would look like if I wasn't involved in the QSMF.”
Queen’s alumnus and Director at Davy, Ben Banerji, said: “I was proud to be part of the fund’s executive team in the first year managing real money - an experience that helped start my career and has stayed with me ever since. Ten years on, the fund's success, alongside Davy's long-standing support, shows how important the role of hands?on education and having committed industry partners are for developing the next generation.”
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For further information contact Ciara.oneill@qub.ac.uk