This Fall 21 semester, Franklin’s Division of Business and Economics inaugurated a new major in Finance – read more here – deep-diving into the industry of investments and securities while including engaging courses such as Portfolio Analysis, Financial Markets and Institutions, Personal Finance and Fintech.
Perhaps one of the most interesting features of this new academic opportunity is the cooperation with Rothschild & Co banking group, one of the world's largest independent financial advisory groups, specializing in three market-leading business divisions: global advisory, wealth and asset management, and merchant banking.
Throughout the semester, Franklin students will be interacting with Rothschild & Co representatives in various and impressive guest lectures. The first lesson took place last Monday, September 20, when Luca Re Cecconi, Director responsible for Business Development and Client Management at Rothschild & Co, and Patrik Eggebrecht, Portfolio Manager at Rothschild & Co Wealth Management in Switzerland, joined the Portfolio Analysis and Asset Management class to introduce and explain the practical aspects, methods and technologies linked to portfolio management. The lecture kicked off a series of workshops, which will also include a real-world assignment from the banking sector in which students will be investigating and later presenting their findings to both Franklin and Rothschild & Co representatives. The multinational bank’s involvement will also be in other classes, including Personal Finance, where another representative, Giovanna Lagutaine, Managing Director at Rothschild & Co Wealth Management in Switzerland, will describe principles and practices of investing money in stock, bonds, real estates and other financial securities.
"We really enjoyed sharing our day-to-day work with such a motivated group of students. We soon realized that their preparation and interest were very strong and we received some challenging questions during the first lesson. It is for us a great opportunity to learn what is important to the young generation when dealing with a financial institution. Rothschild & Co has been in business for centuries and aims at staying a relevant player in the years to come." commented Rothschild & Co representatives.
Franklin is devoted to teaching through experiential education, generating opportunities for students to actively learn and engage, not only intellectually, but especially creatively, socially, and practically.
“I believe that Rothschild & Co’s participation in the new Finance major aligns perfectly with Franklin’s push for more experiential learning in our classrooms.” said David Suleiman, Assistant Professor of Finance, who will be accompanying Personal Finance students in their Academic Travel to Frankfurt, to visit Rothschild & Co’s offices, meet with the employees and learn all about the financial giant’s history, products and services.