I think I have become more curious and questioning about what is written, published etc. The research part also prepares you to perform better when uncertain and to embrace that uncertainty when a new project comes in or decisions have to be made.

So far, among other things, the programme has impacted my overall understanding of finance in general, as I am confronted with new and interesting questions and a vast body of literature that broadens perspectives on a variety of issues.

The programme impact to date? I have started to use some new asset pricing models, such as the production-based channel, to test and build new factors to help us make better investment decisions.

One significant impact of the programme in my day-to-day work is that I am more careful about the robustness of the statistical analysis.

What I also benefited from, and what I probably value the most, is the teaching methodology the instructors used. This is what I share with others who ask for feedback on this programme.

I appreciated that the programme was designed for industry professionals because of its flexibility, with a strong focus on research that is on the edge of academia and industry.

The class comprises an incredible pool of talented and experienced people. Some of my peers are already at the top of their field and many others have the shine of future leaders. The diversity in the classroom is also astounding: here is a group of men and women from all continents, with academic backgrounds ranging from math and physics to political science, and a wealth of professional experiences...

Being mature and experienced, programme participants bring a lot to the classroom and are ready and well equipped to tap the industry knowledge of their peers and to take advantage of the expertise of their professors. It is empowering to be in a position to have in-depth, mature, discussions with people who are experts and have industry experience. This provides for a different learning ...

What I've found useful in the programme so far is that both the professors and students have a diverse range of research interests. This makes it essential to communicate your research clearly and concisely, so that researchers from different backgrounds can appreciate it. This is a life-long skill, and the programme offers a friendly environment in which to refine it.

The experience has been very positive. I have had the opportunity to make a host of new contacts from a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, cultures and industries. The quality, experience and reputation of the permanent and visiting staff are big plus points.

I looked at a few other institutions, but the EDHEC-Risk Institute stood out because of its format, which makes it possible for executives to join, and for the outstanding quality and broad range of expertise of its faculty. Frankly speaking, there is no competition at the moment in this space.

I also valued the fact that, unlike the students in many full-time PhD programmes with little or no practical experience, all the students in this programme had industry experience. This experience enhances classroom discussions, often improves the quality of the questions asked of professors, and enhances interaction among students outside the classroom. For me, this improves the learning...

Before starting the programme, I talked to a colleague of mine, Igor Lojevsky, who recently successfully completed the programme. He gave me very good advice and said that the programme was high standard and very challenging. That was the magic word! I wanted to take on a real intellectual challenge, so it confirmed my first impression.

EDHEC Business School’s PhD in Finance programme is highly competitive, relevant to current financial research and academically rigorous. Having studied in top research universities on three continents (Asia, America and Europe), I can vouch for the fact that the EDHEC PhD in Finance programme is geared towards producing top researchers who can publish in both academic and industry journals. The faculty of the ...

I looked at the programme in detail and was excited as it opened up new subjects for me, things I did not have the opportunity to do on the job: the core courses mix technical topics like empirical finance and less technical subjects like corporate finance, and the various electives cover a very broad spectrum ‒ all of this promising to expand my perspectives way beyond the confines of...

The programme brings together highly motivated individuals with outstanding professional achievements and a wide diversity of backgrounds; these are essential ingredients for the success of this type of venture.

I was looking for a programme that would allow me to take an in-depth and comprehensive look at the research that had been done to spur innovation in the asset management industry. Naturally, this being a PhD in Finance, I also expected to review other aspects of finance that would not have direct relevance to my work as an investment professional. As it turns out, I find that these other...

I would recommend the programme to any experienced asset management officer aspiring to higher intellectual levels and career development, and to anybody who wants to function on the state-of-the-art frontier, which is way beyond where professional designations take you. Come to think of it, I would recommend the programme to any serious finance practitioner.

I will not deny that part of the motivation of me pursuing this programme was to try to get an academic position in finance departments in the US. Having completed the programme relatively quickly, I embarked on my search for an academic position. On 31 August 2015, when I entered to give my first lecture as a new faculty member of the finance department in the University of Connecticut, I completed a...

I decided it was time to pursue a doctoral degree, primarily motivated by the desire to conduct original research and to gain in-depth and broad theoretical understanding after working with a large number of pricing models. With a unique mixture of rigour and flexibility, the Executive Track at EDHEC was a perfect fit for my developmental plan, allowing me to continue my career path ...

The two features that stood out to me were the existence of an executive track that allowed me to continue to work while doing my PhD, and the track record of EDHEC-Risk Institute in doing research that has practical relevance to the industry.

I also find that there is a lot of informal learning going on, during workshops, for instance, or when professors deviate from the slides in class to discuss how a result was established after trial and error, or how avenues were explored that turned out to be dead ends. Through such interactions, I have come to understand research as a process rather than a finished product. It is also...

As a finance practitioner, I like the balance in terms of technical rigour and application. I have attended many elective seminars that cater to a wide range of interests. In addition, these seminars are delivered by the top scholars in their fields.

The format of the EDHEC-Risk Institute PhD in Finance clearly stands head and shoulders above everything else available in part-time format. As a matter of fact, I had been searching for such a course for years, but had never found a reputable institution until EDHEC appeared in my research.
Could you tell us about your background ‒ academically and professionally?