The Institute of Financial Studies (ISF), together with its partners, including representatives from Romanian universities, the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), the Association of Fund Managers in Romania (AAF), the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), and the National Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies in Romania (UNSAR), celebrated International Education Day on 8 October, tailoring the message to the specifics of the non-banking financial sector.
The event briefly addressed the following topics:
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launch of the Investment Academy – 3rd Edition;
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launch of the SmartFIN@ISF – Vocational Training Seminars & ASF Academic Laboratory, fall 2024 session;
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launch of the Start2Learn: Personal Finance, 5th edition, fall 2024 session;
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presentation of the Insurance Academy – 4th Edition;
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promotion of student scientific papers through ISF Working Papers;
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other collaboration opportunities to guide students from partner universities.
At the start of the event, Valentin IONESCU, General Director of the Insurance-Reinsurance Directorate at ASF and President of ISF, spoke:
“On the occasion of International Education Day, let us celebrate the power of knowledge and the essential role education plays in building a better future for each of us. Education is the key that opens doors, gives us the courage to dream, and provides the tools needed to turn our dreams into reality. Today, let us remember the importance of equal access to education for all, regardless of where we are or our circumstances. May this day inspire us to invest in learning, cultivate curiosity, and build a wiser, more empathetic, and inclusive world,” said Valentin Ionescu, President of ISF.
The event was moderated by Prof. Marian SIMINICĂ, Executive Director of the Institute of Financial Studies, and provided an opportunity to discuss and launch new editions of the programs conducted by ISF in partnership with 21 Romanian universities, ASF, AAF, BVB, and UNSAR.
“As every year, on the occasion of International Education Day, we launch the fall edition of financial education projects aimed at students. In partnership with the Financial Supervisory Authority and with the support of entities active in non-banking financial markets, we offer a comprehensive financial education program for students this academic year, including several projects for both introductory and in-depth knowledge about financial investments and insurance,” said Prof. Marian SIMINICĂ.
Prof. Mihaela ONOFREI, professor at “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University in Iași and member of the ISF Scientific Council, emphasized the role of education in shaping new generations:
“We were eagerly awaiting this meeting to recharge our energy. Perhaps the most important aspect of the projects initiated by ASF and ISF is that we bring together universities, the business environment, and authorities because students need guidance and role models. These sessions of scientific papers, projects, and workshops, conducted in partnership with ASF and ISF, are very important for our students, and there are great chances to carry these projects forward because we share the same values.”
Mariana CIUREL from the Bucharest Stock Exchange thanked the entire ISF and ASF team for their collaboration and extended best wishes to all teachers:
“Our gratitude for the work of teachers is substantial. BVB supports initiatives related to financial education and the academic environment by creating new courses/programs that give students the opportunity to become familiar with investments.”
Horia GUSTĂ, President of the Association of Fund Managers in Romania (AAF), also welcomed the financial education initiatives:
“I am pleased that we have reached the third edition of the Investment Academy. It is our role to educate new generations about the capital market, and I believe we can all contribute to their education. As Mr. Siminică mentioned, the awards have been modified to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained through the 8 theoretical modules + the practical module. It is very important to realize that we are now planting the seeds, and later we will reap the rewards.”
A brief presentation of the SmartFIN@ISF & ASF Academic Laboratory followed, where Prof. Marian SIMINICĂ highlighted the main topics and formats of the sessions, emphasizing in-person events. Ieronim ȘTEFAN, Coordinator of the Financial Education Department at ISF, presented the results achieved in previous years:
“We want to thank each of you for your contributions to ISF’s financial education projects. These partnerships are extremely important to us because, without your support, we would not have reached, through the SmartFIN@ISF program over the past 4 years, 175 meetings attended by 12,603 students.”
Alexandru CIUNCAN, President and General Director of UNSAR, welcomed the intention to continue the established projects with ISF and ASF:
“We are doing much more than we did in the past, and we hope to do even more in the future. We are taking our financial education campaigns across the country. A project dear to us is the Insurance Academy, where theoretical and practical modules are offered to students by insurance experts. 10 university centers participated in the last edition of the Insurance Academy, with 60 young students taking part in the third edition of AdA, and 10 teams of 3 students were selected to move forward. We aim to expand this program so that the next edition will not have 60 students enrolled but 600, thus strengthening our partnership with ISF and the universities.”
Additionally, Mr. CIUNCAN highlighted the importance of the SmartFIN@ISF & ASF Academic Laboratory program, which facilitates interaction between insurance experts and students, potentially leading to their employment in this market.
Regarding research, Prof. Raluca LĂDARU, professor at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest and coordinator of the ISF Financial Studies Journal, extended best wishes to all teachers on the occasion of International Education Day and outlined the main research topics addressed by ISF:
“ISF’s research activities cover several directions. We promote the research work of professors, doctoral students, and students. We publish 2 issues of the journal annually, and depending on participation in specialized conferences organized by our university partners, one or more special issues are added. The online ISF Working Papers journal is dedicated to students interested in an academic career, as well as those who wish to professionalize in one of the financial markets.”
At the end of the session, Prof. Marian SIMINICĂ and Paul DUMITRU discussed upcoming events such as the White Night of Universities, a program initiated by ASF with the support of ISF, through which prominent figures from Romania deliver speeches to students to support them both personally and professionally.
