Hi, my name is Jin Niu. I am currently a MSc Finance and Finance Technology student at the ICMA Centre, on the Whiteknights Campus. To be one of the students in this newly opened programme, I started my journey of studying in the UK in October.
The university is located in Reading, which is a quiet and cosy town not far from London. Although it rains quite a lot, Reading is a good place for study. There is not a long distance between the campus and the high street, so the life here is also convenient.
The first thing I want to mention is that there are many very practical subjects. For Security, Futures and Options (SFO) we not only have lectures in large lecture room, we also have trading simulation classes which help us gain an overview of what it looks like in the real trading environment. Sometimes we make good deals and earn profits, sometimes we lose money after buying high and selling at lower prices, it is a very exciting event that we have.
Since the MSc Finance and Financial Technology is quite unique and practical, there are also some special modules for students taking on the programme – Programming for Fintech, which is designed to equip us with an excellent education to meet the diverse needs of talent in the workplace. We have lectures in which the lecturer discuss the usefulness of this programming language and seminars that provide us with many different questions and scenarios for us to practise as much as possible. Meanwhile, challenging homework assignments also require us to spend time after class to do research, but these practical assignments will also promote our further understanding and mastery of what we have learned.
In addition to teaching and learning, we can also take part in a number of events including employer panels and Jobfest. Industry Insights is another careers event, which is held every Wednesday evening during term time. Staff from Henley Business School and the ICMA Centre invite alumni and professionals from the relative industries. Guest speakers share their experience and viewpoints on the industry and firms, which I found very interesting and meaningful.
There are many experienced and knowledgeable career consultants available to help students who still have questions about their future career and discuss any issue on their resumes. I have also booked an appointment with them and look forward to communicating with them.
The ICMA Centre gives students a wide range of choices to study what they are really interested in, and interest is the best teacher. I believe all the students will leave their good memories here at the ICMA Centre.
Learn more about the MSc Finance and Financial Technology programme here.