New research on sovereign funds from EDHEC Asia

New thematic research programs examining sovereign investment funds management and a more general initiative on best investment practices will be a part of the academic work of the recently opened Asia office of Europe’s EDHEC-Risk Institute.

The Institute’s Singapore office, complementing its London and Nice offices, was officially opened last week by Heng Swee Keat, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He took the opportunity to announce new risk management governance requirements for banks and insurers in Singapore as well as warn against the risk of property bubbles in Asia.

The Institute is offering two qualifications in Singapore, starting next month – an MSc in Risk and Investment Management and a PhD in Finance. There are 13 candidates for the start of the three-year PhD program.

In terms of its research, the office will be working to adapt the Institute’s six existing research programs to the peculiarities of Asia as well as the new programs.

Professor Noel Amnec, director of the Institute, said the new programs would examine sovereign investment vehicle management and inflation and survey risk and investment management practices in the context of a new initiative,  called the ‘Asian Research and Advocacy Centre for Best Investment Practices’.

After the Singapore office was announced last year, the Institute signed up some new business partners for its research, following the lead of Deutsche Bank which had endowed a research chair on asset-liability management and sovereign wealth fund management. The new parters are: Amundi ETF, AXA Investment Managers, Societe Generale and EUREX.

Amnec said there were further negotiations with other potential research partners.