You may have heard that the UWA Business School has launched an exciting new unit called the Student Managed Enterprise Investment Fund (SMEIF).
If you're passionate about finance, interested in valuation, and keen to gain experience in live data terminals used by finance professionals, then this new unit may be for you.
Get yourself career-ready
According to Forbes Advisor, the need for knowledgeable and skilled professionals capable of assessing investment opportunities continues to drive demand for careers in finance. This is further fueled by groundbreaking advancements in Fintech, where finance converges with technology.
We sat down with SMEIF Unit Coordinator, Professor Lee Smales and current student Olga Letucheva to find out more about this unit offering and how it directly responds to the needs of industry.
A unit with impact
The SMEIF unit is available to third-year undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce students studying a Finance major and postgraduate students studying a Master of Applied Finance degree. This unit is for analytical and attentive students interested in conducting rigorous research to produce data-driven recommendations for real money investments into the Black Swan Investment Fund.
Guided by leading industry professionals, you’ll conduct equity research to produce a quality investment recommendation proposal in high-performing teams. These proposals will be presented to an investment committee for selection and successful stock recommendations will see $50,000 invested each semester via the Black Swan Investment Fund.
“These units are unique among WA universities with only a few offered Australia-wide. Our Black Swan Investment Fund is also one of the largest in Australia with an initial capital allocation of $300,000” says Professor Smales. “These units really do bridge the gap between university and the workforce. You'll gain hands-on experience conducting equity research using leading financial software platforms such as Bloomberg Professional and LSEG Workspace in our state-of-the-art Rosemarie Nathanson Financial Marketing Trading Room. You’ll also sit in on guest lectures from industry practitioners.”
Steps to success
Olga Letucheva, a second-year Master of Applied Finance student, described learning from industry practitioners as a great way to master the skills and gain the experience needed to boost your career prospects.
“I feel it is crucial to receive practitioner feedback on our investment proposal as it encourages students to think critically about their work and identify areas for improvement. This, I believe, is an innovative way of learning.”
“For me, working with practitioners is the equivalent to receiving the latest information, which is today's most precious resource. Practitioners always pay attention to hidden details that are inaccessible to others outside the industry and most crucial to business decision-making.”
To find out about how you can apply for either the undergraduate or postgraduate Student Managed Enterprise Investment Fund unit, visit the Handbook webpages below.
Undergraduate unit: Student Managed Enterprise Investment Fund [FINA3333]
Postgraduate unit: Student Managed Enterprise Investment Fund (Advanced) [FINA5555]
