Welcome Students of Different Backgrounds to Apply! Review of FISF EMF Enrollment Forum

Release time：2021-04-07    

On the afternoon of March 28^th 2021, the 2021 Online Info Sessionof FISF EMF was successfully held at Huangpu Campus. The event was held  online and introduced the cultivation scheme, curriculum and career development of EMF Program. Meanwhile, five current EMF students of EMF were invited to share their learning experience and application advice with the applicants. Let’s review this event together!

Speech of Program Director

“How should a student in their third college year make after-graduation planning?” ”Is the Master of Finance program suitable for me or not?” According to these issues concerned by university students, Justin Hou, Program Director of FISF EMF suggested that students should think  from their perspectives and figure out “where do they see themselves after ten years?” with considerations of personal strengths and weaknesses, interests, academic backgrounds, industrial development opportunities in the future. in order to find the most suitable master’s program.

Justin Hou giving his speech

With technological innovation and value creation becoming the main them of the era, the financial market reform is being steadily put forward, and the level of financial openness is growing higher. For students hoping to work in finance industry in the next 5 to 10 years, or wishing to go further in their current fields by learning finance, the FISF EMF master program is worth considering.

First, the program has put a huge emphasis on curriculum construction since founded. The curriculum system is set on the basis of the market needs of China’s economic structure transformation, and has been adjusted and upgraded accordingly. Through constant innovation of selective courses, curriculum groups in three directions of “company finance and laws”, “asset management” and “fintech” have gradually come into being, from which students can make choices according to the requirements of their own career development. Besides the advanced professional financial courses, there are also some frontal subjects. For example, green development has grown obviously more significant in the 14^th five-year plan and conforms with the general global trends. “Green Finance in China and in the world” can help students build a multidimensional perspective and contribute their strengths to the sustainable development of China’s economy.

In addition to the academic courses, practical course modules like “LIVE”, “CARE”, “EL” and “OM” will go throughout the two years’ cultivation of EMF, providing a platform for students to transfer from theories to practices and from class to the industry. It improves students’ professional capabilities and global outlook and help them better adapt to  both Chinese and westernworking environments , laying a solid foundation for a longer term of future career advances.

EMF Program Introduction

Xinru Wang introducing program cultivation

Next, Xinru Wang, the admission managerof the program, introduced the EMF concepts and cultivation from three aspects of Rigor, Relevance and Responsibility. The school has an international faculty team of 58 professors and offers 16 rigorously designed financial compulsory courses and as many as over 20 financial selected courses to comprehensively help students enhance their financial professional foundation. The unique LIVE learning closely integrates classroom theories with actual practices. Each module is a combination of 6 weeks of theoretical teaching and 2 weeks of LIVE practical projects, covering pluralistic fields like investment banking, investment management, quantitative analysis, research consulting and fintech. It brings students to further recognition of the core functions of various industrial directions, better understanding of the applications of financial knowledge, and the trained capabilities of practical application and teamwork.

Beyond all the professional knowledge to learn and practical application, EMF is also devoted to broadening students’ horizons and cultivating them to be world citizens with high social responsibility. Its C.A.R.E. course motivates students to reflect on and discuss multiple topics including sustainable development, social innovation and global cultural diversity. Moreover, it also sets a special course of art investment, helping students to extend their career goals to embodiment of life value. The overseas module and dual-degree program withoverseas universities may also provide students with great opportunities to experience overseas study and increase their global outlook . In the end, Wang introduced the student composition of EMF, showing that EMF students are a diverse group. The program welcomes applicantsof different backgrounds. She also talked about the admission camp arrangements this year.

Introduction of FISF Career Development Center

Ying Fan introducing Career Development Center

In the next stage, Ying Fan, Director of the FISF Career Service Office, introduced the overall situation in the FISF Career Development Center and its career services provided for EMF students. She also shared the latest employment data of 2021 EMF students and the summer internship report of 2022 students.

Students’ Sharing

Vincent Yan sharing his major-changing experience

In thesession of students’ sharing, five EMF students from differentclasses were invited to give speeches. Vincent Yan, having studied physics at Fudan University for his undergraduate, talked about his experience of transferring from science and engineering to finance. He introduced that the EMF curriculum is very practical and can lay a solid foundation for students wishing to enter the financial industry in the future. Also, the program paid muchattention on developing students’ comprehensive abilities, impelling them to improve their leadership, teamwork ability and presentation ability from their daily learning and cooperationwith classmates . For applicants who are going to change majorshe advised them to make it clear that why they want to enter the financial industry firstly, and no need to worry about lacking of financial foundation at the present stage, what they really need to do is to actively utilize their advantage of compound backgrounds in application.

Yuejing Li sharing her learning experience at the program

The second student to share is Yuejing Li, a 2020 EMF student from the financial department of Peking University. She made a detailed presentation about the help she’d obtained from FISF Career Development Center, including internship chances provided by internal recommendation, regular career consulting and all kinds of career development activities, etc. As for application, she suggested students clarify their own short-term and long-term goals, figure out the true reasons for choosing finance as the development direction in the future, and determine whether they are fit for the value of EMF.

Zijun Fan sharing her applying experience

The third student giving the speech is Zijun Fan who is from international politics major at Fudan University. As a student transferring from social science to finance, she stated that EMF is very friendly to students of liberal arts, the program focus more on your potentials and if you could be matched with program culture instead of professional finance knowledge in the interview. During the two years at the program, she has acquired a qualitative leap. She encouraged students of the social sciences to confidently and actively =show their strengths and make well preparations for their applications.

Zhixin Zhang sharing her learning experience

Zhixin Zhang from financial engineering at Nanjing University gave the fourth speech. She is also the Student Ambassador in the previous year of the program. She told usher own story with EMF. She said that EMF is a very cohesive team where everyone worked hard and grew together, which gives her a great sense of belonging. Especially when frustrated in her career development, the teachers and students offered encouragement and support. She wished more students would apply actively to join this big warm family.

Sicheng Cui sharing his interview experience

The last student to share student was Sicheng Cui from finance major at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Apart from the various EMF advantages mentioned by other  students, he said that EMF is also an international program. In his class, there are students from Australia, America, Russia and other countries besides Chinese students. The cross-culture class environment improve his international perspective and English communication ability. At last, as a student having participated in the 2020 online admission camp, he offered many practical suggestions for applicants in 2021, including paying attention to the stability of equipment network, keep  good communication with teammates and avoid unnecessary problems.

Round-table Stage

Site of round-table stage

In the following round-table session, five students expressed their opinions of the two most concerned questions : “going abroad or applying for postgraduate recommendations in the post-epidemic era” and  “students’ characteristics expected by EMF”. They noted that when applying for master programs, interests, future working sites and  development of current major are significant important elements to be taken into considerations  The internationalized cultivation of EMF can also provide students with as good as resources and atmosphere in other world-class business schools. When discussing the student characteristics expected by the program, the students respectively use the five words of Positive, Diverse, Responsible, Open and Curious to conclude the characteristics that the EMF students should have in their heart.

Question and Answer

The info session came to an end with the Q&A stage.  Justin Hou, Xinru Wang and Ying Fan returned to the stage  to answer questions raised by students. Due to time limit, all the questions could not be answered. Thus, they addressed the “hot issues” and shared them at the end of the article.

01

Will the XP Camp be held online or offline this year?

The XP Camp this year will be held online, and its form will be determined according to the situation then.

02

Is there any batch difference between the application of Early Class and Regular Class?

Whether to apply for Early Class or Regular Class, each batch of XP Camp are both available; if failing to be accepted in the first round, the applicant can edit his application choice and apply  fornext round . Therefore, it is recommended that students make full preparations and apply for the XP Camp as soon as possible.

03

Last year the application was in the form of personal video. It seemed that this year the requirement of the video has changed. Can you make a clarification?

In the past students were required to record an English video of 1 minute in advance and submit in the system. This year the form is changed to first submit the application and then record an online video essay by giving answers in English upon given subjects, which can be completed within 10 minutes. Students don’t need to be too nervous. Just show themselves. Of course, it is highly suggestedt to get the network, computer and other hardware ready ahead of time. (Please note that mobile device like IPad or smart phone is not allowed for online recording.)

04

Is there any difference between the cultivation of Early Class and Regular Class?

The two classes are exactly the same in curriculum, cultivation and resources. Students in the Early Class will start learning offline at Fudan University after September of this year. Please take your actual situation into consideration t and see if you can take both the undergraduate learning and the postgraduate courses at the same time during the fourth college year.

05

Will EMF students achieve primary or secondary employment?

We do have both students who choose to work in primary and secondary market Career directions should be chosen based on the personal interests of students. EMF encourages students to make attempts in order to determine the finaldirection. For the few uncertain about their career directions, the Career Development Center will regularly offer one-on-one consultation to help them make timely adjustments and give suggestions. After completing the compulsory courses in the first year, students may also select advanced courses in relevant directions to get improved in professional capabilities.

EMF 1V1 Counseling

Any question about application or for detailed information, students are welcome to sign up for 1V1 counseling and keep in touch with us. Scan the following QR code to sign up, a corresponding EMF teacher or student ambassador will contact you. We also welcome students having counseled before to continue our communication through WeChat, phone calls and email.