News

New RSM MSC F&I graduates aspire to solve financial sector problems 

Rotterdam, November 2011 --- Graduates of the first cohort of the newly-accredited MSc in Finance and Investments Programme (MSc F&I) programme at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) have been alerted to opportunities for solving the financial sector problems during their graduation ceremony at RSM on 10 November.

The MSc F&I programme recently received an independent accreditation by the NVAO, the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation, and this graduation ceremony was also the first time an MSc graduation was organised on such a large scale. 34% women students and 58% international students among the 62 graduates received their master diploma on stage, proudly wearing traditional academic caps and gowns. 

“This is the beginning of a new tradition at RSM,” says Lars Norden, Associate Professor of Finance and MSc F&I Programme Director. During the ceremony the audience of 350 family members, friends, and faculty, could see the students’ diverse and spectacular “I WILL” statements, an initiative of the RSM community (iwill.rsm.nl).

In his opening address, the Dean of RSM, Professor Steef van de Velde compared the situation of the young finance graduates with those of soccer players before a match and encouraged them to make a difference in the corporate world. 

Marno Verbeek, Professor of Finance and Vice-Dean of Research at RSM, reflected on the practical relevance and academic rigour of the master programme, which can be summarised as “Our goal = your future”, according to Verbeek. He also emphasised RSM’s leading position in rankings. The pre-experience MSc F&I Programme is ranked 16th overall, fourth in terms of value for money, and the only one from the Benelux and Germany in the Financial Times Global Financial Training Ranking 2011. 

Guest speaker, Hans Stegeman, Head of Dutch Macro Research at Rabobank, painted a gloomy picture of the current turmoil in financial markets and the difficulties to find appropriate solutions. But he concluded on a positive note by saying there are “a lot of opportunities to solve a lot of problems, especially in the financial sector.” 

Another highlight was the presentation of the 2011 Best Student of the MSc F&I Programme Award to Silviya Nikolova (Bulgaria) for her outstanding performance in courses, master thesis and extra-curricular activities. The prize was sponsored by Rabobank and consisted of a financial award and an internship option. 

The event concluded with an enthusiastic speech by Christos Angelis, alumnus of RSM, who has started a career in the private equity business, and a call by Eva Rood of RSM’s Corporate and Alumni Relations department to join the large alumni network of RSM. The ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception, which left plenty of room to celebrate with friends and family, fellow graduates and faculty.

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University is consistently ranked amongst the top 10 business schools in Europe. It is located in the international port city of Rotterdam where core Dutch values of openness, flexibility and acceptance of diversity have attracted businesses on a global scale. Our emphasis is on groundbreaking research and practices relevant to business; our primary focus is on developing business leaders who carry their innovative ideas into a sustainable future. Our portfolio includes a broad array of bachelor, master, doctoral, MBA and executive education programmes. 

For more information on RSM or on this release, please contact Marianne Schouten, Media & Public Relations Manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at mschouten@rsm.nl.