Once again, the ICMA Centre celebrated the success of its students in style this year. Students graduated at the ceremony held on 28 June in the Great Hall at the University’s London Road Campus. Following the ceremony, students and their guests were invited back to the Centre for a champagne reception.

One exceptional student was awarded a special prize at the reception; Susan Ogunbumi, who graduated with a distinction in the MSc International Securities, Investment and Banking was presented with the ?Vetiva Prize’ by Dr Olaolu Mudasiru, Deputing Managing Director of Vetiva Capital Management.

The prize is awarded annually by Vetiva – an investment banking boutique in Nigeria – to the highest achieving African MSc student at the ICMA Centre. The prize includes an award of £1000, as well as the opportunity to work at Vetiva and other investment banking firms in Nigeria.

Dr. Mudasiru, himself a graduate of the ICMA Centre’s MSc International Securities, Investment and Banking said: “It is with great pride that we award Miss Ogunbunmi the Vetiva award for Best Graduating MSc African student of the ICMA Centre 2007/08. Considering that the ICMA Centre represents one of the finest learning institutions designed to equip its students for the challenges and peculiarities of Investment Banking in the real world. We did not have to look further to find the incubator for the best African mind we have envisioned”.

Dr Mudasiru went on to say that “We are pleased to announce that the Vetiva Prize has been increased from £500 to £1000 and we hope that this will prove our commitment to the intellectual potential we believe the ICMA Centre is capable of providing to the African continent”.

Two alumni of the ICMA Centre, University of Reading have showed their belief in the Centre and established the Solidus Securities SA Scholarship for Greek students.

This unique scholarship is open to all Greek applicants to any of the ICMA Centre’s eight Masters degrees who demonstrate strong academic ability. The scholarship includes 50% of tuition fees and the opportunity to undertake one to two months work experience at Solidus Securities SA in Athens, Greece.

The alumni Alex Sinos and Nick Kaltsogiannis both graduated from the ICMA Centre’s MSc International Securities, Investment and Banking in 1995. Alex co-founded Solidus Securities SA in 1999 and is now Managing Director. The firm is one of the leading privately owned Securities houses in the Greek capital market, with a clientele of more than 20,000 accounts. Nick is the firm’s Executive Director and is also a member of the International Capital Market Association’s Education Committee.

Nick commented: “Our aim in establishing this Scholarship was to enhance the bonds between Solidus Securities SA, the Greek financial and academic community and the ICMA Centre by giving Greek graduates the opportunity to become members of the ICMA Centre family, fulfilling their academic ability and making the start of a promising professional career.”

Professor Board, Director of the Centre said, “We are delighted with Alex and Nick’s success and their desire to help other Greek students benefit as they have done. This Scholarship bears testament to the belief that our alumni have in the ICMA Centre and we are fortunate for the great support we receive from our alumni.”

For criteria and further information regarding the scholarship please visit www.icmacentre.ac.uk/msc_scholarships

The ICMA Centre at the University of Reading has launched the UK’s first collaborative MSc in Investment Banking and Islamic Finance, to be taught jointly with INCEIF (International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance) in Kuala Lumpur.

The degree is responding to the growing interest in Islamic finance, and also the increase in Islamic banking services, investment and other financial services based on Islamic principles.

The MSc is the first in the UK to use Islamic material taught by Islamic specialists and aims to capture the increasing demand for the subject with an academic base and practical views on issues such as Islamic finance, economics and law.

Students will benefit from having the opportunity to spend three months studying in Kuala Lumpur alongside Islamic finance professionals. The MSc will not require any previous knowledge of Islamic law or concepts but will explain the current issues within their overall Islamic economic and legal context. Graduates will also receive a thorough understanding of Western banking practices allied to the principles of Islamic finance. They will then be well qualified to join specialist Islamic financial institutions, investment managers and finance divisions of multinational companies.

In addition, participants on the course will cover the materials necessary to qualify for the Certificate Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP). This certificate aims to give participants a better insight on world views and cross-cultural perspectives for a robust Islamic finance industry.

Professor John Board, Director of the ICMA Centre said: “This partnership brings together two institutions with great reputations for education focused on the financial markets. We are delighted to launch this programme in partnership with INCEIF. We are launching this MSc at a time of great interest in Islamic finance and we expect a considerable amount of interest in this degree.”

Agil Natt, President & Chief Executive Officer of INCEIF, said: “Our unique mission is to elevate and advance the practice of Islamic finance globally. We aim to do this by being the knowledge leader in Islamic finance not only from the religious aspect but also from the ethical perspective to everyone, from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai, Tokyo, London and the rest of the world, irrespective of faith and creed.”
For more information please visit https://www.icmacentre.ac.uk/ibif

PHOTO: The formal signing ceremony – Agil Natt,  President & CEO of INCEIF and Prof Gordon Marshall, Vice Chancellor of the University.

The University of Reading recently held a ?topping out’ ceremony to mark the structural completion of the new £6 million extension to its ICMA Centre.

The ICMA Centre has an international reputation for being the premier institution in Europe for undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education tailored to the capital markets industry. Due to open this autumn, the extension will include a 50-seat flagship dealing room, complete with Reuters plasma screens and ticker tape, 170-seat lecture theatre, café bar, media centre, a dedicated PhD study area as well as seminar rooms and offices.

Guests at the ceremony, held on the extension’s roof, were key representatives from the University of Reading as well as Jerry Hayes, Project Manager for Costain Limited and Ian Thomas, Director for Gardiner & Theobald Management Services who are managing the build.

After the pouring of the final cement Brian Lawson, who sits on ICMA’s Executive Education Committee, said: “ICMA feels a great sense of pride regarding the Centre’s expansion as we move quickly towards completion of the new extension. The topping out transforms these ambitious plans into a tangible and exciting reality. Through the completion of the expanded ICMA Centre, and the University of Reading’s new links with Henley Business School, a pre-eminent centre of global excellence in financial study is being established”.

Professor John Board, Director of the University’s ICMA Centre said: “The wonderful new extension is going to be of great benefit to our students, providing further excellent facilities to equip them with the skills valued by the finance industry. Our current facilities already make us the best-equipped institution in Europe. These new facilities including an additional 50-seat dealing room will enable us to cater for the growing number of students enrolling with us each year.”