Curtin Trading Room adds new dimension to learning and teaching at Curtin Malaysia

Miri – 28 June 2019 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) continues to invest in innovative facilities to enhance student experience and employability. Among the facilities is the newly-completed Curtin Trading Room at its Faculty of Business which provides business students a real-life trading floor environment with easy access to market data, analytics and information.

Fashioned on a similar facility at its main campus in Perth, the facility is a distinctive learning space equipped with a powerful and flexible multi-media financial trading system (FTS) and financial analysis software that allow for financial trading simulations, virtual portfolio simulations and the use of various supporting analytical modules.

Students can use the FTS and dual screen terminals to learn analytical and quantitative techniques in portfolio management, as well as develop trading strategies, get an idea of real-time stock and bond prices, and keep abreast of news on businesses, industry trends and the wider global market.

“It is unlike any other teaching facility in Malaysia. It brings the real world of finance into the classroom, provides access to real-world technology and simulates a real-life business environment to prepare students with the practical skills they will need to graduate career-ready,” said Faculty of Business acting dean Associate Professor Pauline Ho.

She said they will be able to access company financials, market data with charts, statistics, a communications platform and current news and proprietary research reports. In short, most information required to undertake a detailed study on a company, sector, security, economy and country can be accessed using the system.

According to Associate Professor Ho, the FTS can also be tailor-programmed to run financial trading simulation workshops or entrepreneurial activities for secondary school students. This would be a good tool for engagement with school students and get them interested in business studies.

Associate Professor Ho anticipates that, in addition to lectures and practical sessions for Curtin students, the Curtin Trading Room will be buzzing with activity year-round with secondary school visits, student workshops and corporate tours with industry and government representatives, providing a practical perspective on the delivery of the courses at the Faculty of Business.

Meanwhile, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan commented that the trading room will be a valuable learning tool not only for undergraduate and postgraduate business students, but also staff and industry professionals.

“The FTS software seamlessly integrates data, news and analytics and provides transparent and reliable financial, economic and government information covering all major market sectors, including equity, fixed income, commodities and forex,” said Professor Giridharan.

“Users will have access to basically the same information used by traders, investment bankers, portfolio managers and brokers, giving them insights into how the industry makes decisions in areas of macro-economic policy-making, portfolio management, central banking and risk analysis.”

Professor Giridharan said that in today’s competitive job market, in-depth knowledge and mastery of advanced skills are vital for students to enhance their employability. Therefore, Curtin ensures its courses are always applied, innovative and relevant to the world, enabling graduates to become highly-competent industry professionals.

She added that Curtin Malaysia’s magnificent reputation is based first and foremost on the success of its outstanding graduates, but this reputation is also based, in part, on the superb facilities it provides – facilities that are essential to innovative education.

“Our students need to learn in the best possible facilities, and we need to continually create innovative learning spaces equipped with the latest technologies to support active student learning. This is also to ensure that their student learning experience is comparable with that of their peers at our main campus in Perth,” said Professor Giridharan.

Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Business is one of the region’s leading providers of business education, offering a comprehensive range of courses from the Curtin Business School, which is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Strong connections with industry partners ensures that students are aligned with the latest industry trends and the faculty boasts an impressive graduate employability rate due to these connections.

Curtin Trading Room provides business students a real-life trading floor environment.

FTS system allows for a range of simulations and detailed market analytics reports.

Curtin Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry (8th left) and senior executives from Perth and Sarawak during recent visit to the facility.

Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Beena Giridharan.

Acting Dean Associate Professor Pauline Ho.