PhDStudentFellowships
TheAfrican InstituteofFinancialMarketsandRiskManagement (AIFMRM) intheFacultyofCommerceattheUniversityofCapeTown is apostgraduate institute committed to increasing theextent anddepthofexpertise in the African financial service industry. The institute conducts rigorous scholarly research andtakesacriticalandquantitativeapproachtothestudyoffinancialmarkets,riskmanagement,andfinancialinnovation.
AIFMRMisinvitingapplicationsforPhDStudentFellowships.Theapplicationdeadlineis15November2017(late applicationswill be considered until all positions are filled) and appointments are for as soon as isfeasible.Thetenureofthefellowshipisforthreeyears.
We are looking for enthusiastic PhD students with a Master’s degree in economics, finance, computerscience, statistics, financial mathematics, or closely related fields. We offer a three-year, fully fundedfellowshipofR190000perannum.Researchsupportisavailable,e.g.forconferencetravelandpublicationcosts. We encourage and actively support PhD Students to undertake internships either in the financialindustryorwithregulatoryauthoritiesandcentralbanksduringtheirPhD.AIFMRMhasanextensivesetofcollaborationswith leading universities in Europe and theUSA andwe encourage studentswhowant tobroadentheiracademichorizontospendasemesterabroadduringtheirPhD.Ourkeyresearchareasare:1. FinancialTechnology
Our research in financial technology focuses on two broad areas: artificial intelligence in finance anddistributedledgertechnologies.Inartificialintelligence,weareparticularlyinterestedinapplicationsofdeep learning, including:AIandalgorithmictrading;robo-advisors;andprocessautomation.However,we are also interested in foundational research in artificial intelligence, specifically around strategicinteractionsbetweenAIandhumans.Foroursecondfocusareaarounddistributedledgertechnologies,weareparticularlyinterestedinapplicationsofblockchaintoremittances,paymentsystems,butalsointhe broader question of how distributed ledgers will affect the financial system. A PhD student infinancialtechnologycouldworkcloselywithcomputerscientists,mathematiciansandstatisticians,andweexplicitlyencourageapplicationsfromgoodMaster’sstudentsfromthesefields.
2. MathematicalandQuantitativeFinanceOurresearch inmathematical finance focusesmainlyonthe theoreticalandquantitativemodellingoffinancial markets and instruments, as well as the techniques from numerical analysis, optimization,simulation,stochasticanalysisandstatisticsonwhichthesemodelsarefounded.Currentresearchtopicsinclude, among others, volatility modelling, multi-factor and multi-curve interest rate modelling,efficient computation of solutions of stochastic differential equations, model risk and uncertainty,calibration methods, optimal hedging strategies for exotic instruments, valuation adjustments andcounterparty credit risk, applications of filtering techniques to finance, and the pricing of insurance-linkedsecurities.
3. Macroeconomics&FinanceOurresearchbroadly involvesempiricalandtheoreticalanalysisof linkagesbetweenfinancialmarketsand themacro economy; and agency relationships and their impact on firm financial and investmentdecisions. Current research topics include financial intermediation, micro- and macro-prudentialsupervision,systemicrisk,economicpolicy,internationalcapitalflows,andfirmfinancingchoices.
Toapply,pleasesendthefollowing:
• Aletterofmotivation• AcompleteCVincludingthenamesandcontactdetailsoftworeferences• Academictranscripts
to Co-Pierre Georg ([email protected], African Institute of Financial Markets and Risk Management,UniversityofCapeTown,Rondebosch7700,SouthAfrica).
ForfurtherquestionsandenquiriespleasecontactLizzyStarck([email protected]).
The University of Cape Town reserves the right to disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriateapplications.TheUniversityofCapeTownreservestherighttochangetheconditionsofawardortomakenoawardsatall.
