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When you ponder how large the world is, you’ll realise it feels as endless as the galaxy. It’s seven continents large, 195 countries wide, and 8.2 billion people rich. The single human race is as complex as nature’s microorganisms. We’ve got over 1,500 different race and ethnic categories, 3,814 distinct cultures, and 7,000 spoken languages. The most central language, though? Whether it’s US dollars, Thai baht, or South African Rand — money talks.
Despite the sheer range of diversity that colours every region and every city, however, the world has been dominated by a single ideology for the past 3,000 years: Eurocentrism. It’s an ideology that positions the Western European perspective as the beacon of success, and in turn, allows other communities to fall by the wayside through inequality.
Inequality is still rampant in the world of finance and management today. High-income countries hold 80% of global assets, and make up 97% of sustainable investment funds. In the US, there’s been a clear wealth gap between white households and non-white households for as long as the country’s been alive. It’s difficult for developing countries to turn sustainable when they’re limited with investments and facing capacity constraints.
These inequalities are the reason why the School of Finance and Management at SOAS University of London is dedicated to nurturing a unique set of business leaders — policymakers who are shaped by a commitment to breaking the Eurocentric worldview. Located in Russell Square, London, it’s the only institution in Europe to place the magnifying glass on research and scholarship throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The School of Finance and Management at SOAS is not only a pioneering campus for aspiring students, but a leading centre for research in the field too. The academic staff are world-class researchers with layers and layers of industry and publishing experience. They’ve got plenty of wisdom to impart with works embedded with non-Western perspectives.
“Teaching at the School of Finance and Management aims to cultivate knowledge as well as the development of skills like data analytics, team working, and problem-solving,” Dr. Alberto Asquer, Head of the School of Finance and Management, says. “We are uniquely positioned to understand global trends and local specificities because of our regional expertise in several emerging countries and fast-growing economies.”
At the School of Finance and Management, it’s all about fostering a better economy across the world through real-world learning and research. Source: SOAS University of London
In the school, two centres are tackling today’s global challenges in finance and management: the Centre for Global Finance and the Centre for Trust Research. Researchers are booked and busy, and expanding their expertise on the global stage of financial development.
They’re collaborating with two top universities in China, Nankai University and Zhejiang University, to discover how the country’s financial system will support future development and sustainable growth. In the UK-India bilateral trade in goods and financial services, SOAS is jointly funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council and the Indian Council of Social Science Research to study the potential of fintech and fintech-enabled services. For the Inclusive Finance project, researchers are striving to improve financial equity across African economies to bring low-income countries up to par with medium-income countries.
Interested in becoming a change-maker in finance and management, just like them? With all that said, SOAS is the place. Whether you’re fresh out of high school and looking to do business better, a graduate keen to pursue in-depth research through a PhD, or a practitioner eager for professional development — SOAS welcomes you to learn and thrive here.
Many SOAS alumni are thriving in careers across banking, insurance, fintech, and more, while others are pursuing research with a PhD. Source: SOAS University of London
Across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, SOAS students are driven by the kind of research and real-world challenges that only “The World’s University” can provide. No matter the level of degree, each student builds an in-demand skill set that’s aided by specialist knowledge of the financial and management systems of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Here, students engross themselves in projects and work experiences. Students in the second or final year of their undergraduate degree boost their employability through the Virtual Industry Project, hosted in collaboration with tech innovator and education provider Practera. They undergo two weeks of work-based learning as a member of a virtual student consultant team to advise industry clients. Postgraduate students often have work placement years as part of their degrees, basing them at global financial centres across insurance, fintech, the finance services ecosystem, and more.
If you’re inspired by SOAS University of London’s game-changing moves in creating a better future, then check out the School of Finance and Management today.
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