The CFA Institute Research Challenge Competition was officially launched on November 13th at the office of OJSC RUSNANO in Moscow. For the first time over the past four years, the local segment of the competition is being supported by a key Russian State-owned investment institution.

Each year, CFA Institute Research Challenge Kick-Off meeting is the first formal event that marks the start of this international competition, which is a key event for over 3500 finance and investment students worldwide. CFA Institute and CFA Association (Russia) introduced the CFA Institute Research Challenge to Russian student community four years ago, and since that time the professional level and competitive strenghts of our student teams have demonstrated significant improvement. In 2013, for the first time ever, the Russian student team reached the global finale, where it competed with the top few of the World’s strongest university teams.

The subject companies that students analized in the Russian leg of the CFA Research Challenge competition came from different industries, and each year, the teams dealt with new sectors and business structures. Among these local public companies were:
 

Severstal OAO (steel and mining industry), CFA IRC 2010-2011

HMS OAO (industrial equipment production), CFA IRC 2011-2012

Mostotrest OAO (infrastructure construction), CFA IRC 2012-2013

QIWI Group (payment services), CFA IRC 2013-2014
 

QIWI is one of those instantly recognizable companies that most Russians dealt with in one or another form. The core of their business is digital technology that enables payment services across physical, online and mobile channels, to be more precise. The company employs innovative business approach and pursues the strategy of global expansion. To top it off, the company went through IPO and is traded at NASDAQ.
 

There are 8 teams competing to represent Russian Federation at the EMEA Regional stage of the competition. Most of these teams originate from Moscow, but we are also happy to have St. Petersbourg team participating this year for the first time.
 

All teams have only one opportunity to meet face-to-face with the subject company representatives before the local final competition. After the QIWI representatives delivered their company presentation, all teams had a chance to ask their questions during the Q&A session. The rest of communication with the subject company will be via email. Starting today, all participants have begun preparation of their analytical reports - fundamental element of the Challenge and one of those project most of the students will always remember with pride and sense of achievement.  The draft of the report should be submitted by 10th of December, which doesn’t leave much time for the teams and introduces an element of real life experience of working in financial industry. The final report is due by the middle of January, and at that stage local graders begin assessment of the reports. The graders include several distinguished members of the CFA community, and their job will be to do a thorough evaluation of the written reports prepared by the teams. At the same time, students are required to prepare 10 minutes video presentation after they submit their final reports. This video presentation is the second element of team assessment, and judges will be reviewing the video presentation as part of team evaluation.

Only four teams will make it to the local final of the CFA Research Challenge competition, and only one of them will be selected to represent Russia at the EMEA Regional competition in Milan, Italy on of April 2, 2014. The Global Final of CFA Investment Research Challenge will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on of April 25, 2014.
 

We say THANK YOU to some of the best students in Russia stand up to CFA Institute Research Challenge and wish GOOD LUCK to all teams!