Advanced Studies in International Finance

Advanced Studies in International Finance is an internet-based, multi-university research course. UT students and students at partner business schools form themselves into small international groups and pursue research in some area of international finance. The specific group composition and nature of the research will vary with the topic and student participants. The group papers will be of the quality and format to qualify for submission to The University of Texas Undergraduate Research Journal.

Academic status: This course counts as a 3-hour business elective for UT students. Students register under Finance 373.1, Advanced Studies in International Finance. The academic status for students in other partner schools is set forth in their appropriate syllabus.

Group research topics: Research topics involve a substantial issue in global finance that is directly applicable to the students’ career development. Topics may fall into one of the following broad categories: Globalization of financial markets; Entrepreneurship and the global economy; Development of various economies: China, Russia, Latin America, East Asia, etc.; Comparison of different economic areas; Technology and markets; The future of the international monetary system, including the changing roles of the dollar and the euro; Political and economic factors in the global economy. These are certainly not the only research areas. Groups are encouraged to be creative in identifying their topics. However, the group members must come to an agreement as to the topic they will examine, so there will be some compromises among the members.

Course product: Research is the development of ideas. To focus the ASIF groups in their research the specific goal of each group is to develop a paper for submission to the UT Undergraduate Research Journal. The nature of the paper and the URJ’s requirements are listed below. Additional information is contained in the following links.

• ASIF research guidance
• http://www.utexas.edu/research/student/urj  This website for the UT Undergraduate Research Journal contains detailed information on submissions and samples of successful undergraduate research papers.

Course technology: Work on the course is conducted though a special Blackboard web site that connects the UT students with their group members in the partner universities. This site has special collaborative tools such as separate sites for each group, a virtual classroom, group emails, document drop boxes and discussion forums. In addition to BlackBoard, the group members can conduct videoconferences using the facilities of the Aim Financial Trading and Technology Center.

Partner schools

• Belgorod State University, Russia

• Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
     University home page
     AnTai School of Management

• The University of Texas at Austin
     University home page
     The Red McCombs School of Business

Coordinating Faculty

• Professor Yiwen Fei, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Dr. Robert C. Duvic, McCombs School of Business
• Professor Olesya Serkina, Belgorod State University

Admission requirement and procedures

Frequently Asked Questions

Course Syllabi

• UT syllabus: word document  or Adobe PDF

• SJTU syllabus: word document or Adobe PDF

• BelSU syllabus:  word document or Adobe PDF