This article was published in TSE science magazine, TSE Mag. It is part of the Autumn 2025 issue, dedicated to finance and money. Discover the full PDF here and email us for a printed copy or your feedback on the mag, there.
Finance is not just numbers, it’s about decisions, behaviors and consequences. As a teacher and researcher, I have witnessed the financial landscape become increasingly complex and interconnected. To keep pace, the next generation of finance professionals will not only need technical skills: they must be intellectually agile, ethically aware, and resilient in the face of uncertainty.
The Financial Markets and Risk Evaluation (FiRE) master’s program trains students how to trade and price financial assets, evaluate risk and investment opportunities. Crises like the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapse show that applying formulas without critical thinking can be dangerous. That’s why FiRE combines theoretical insights – taught by world-class researchers who helped develop them – with hands-on understanding of how markets, investors, and risk behave in the real world. Students learn how to use financial models, but also to question their limits.
Our program is carefully aligned with industry expectations, allowing FiRE students to pursue a wide range of careers. They develop qualities that employers consistently tell us they value, including:
- Understanding investment strategies and asset management from equities and fixed income to derivatives and alternative assets.
- Quantitative and computational skills for evaluating risk or pricing assets.
- Financial analysis proficiency and expertise in corporate finance, learning to interpret data to guide strategic decisions.
- Technological fluency – in tools such as VBA, Python, and R – for today’s financial professions.
- Communication skills for explaining analysis to diverse stakeholders.
Ultimately, our goal is not just to prepare students for their first job, but to build an entire career that will span market booms, downturns, disruptions, and innovations. As well as providing cutting-edge skills, we want to inspire the curiosity, integrity, and confidence to shape the financial ecosystems of tomorrow.
