Education | UM, Thomson Reuters launch trading room

The University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) and Thomson Reuters launched the Thomson Reuters Trading Room at an opening ceremony held at the university yesterday.
UM Vice Rector (Student Affairs), Prof Haydn Chen, said that the new lab will not only enhance the research capabilities of UM scholars, but will also provide a good learning environment for students, adding that the trading room will allow UM students a hands-on experience in a simulated trading environment.
The Thomson Reuters Trading Room can provide Thomson Reuters Eikon terminal access for up to 80 users and is equipped with analytics tools, real-time data, and financial information to assist the faculty’s teaching and research activities.
With access to Eikon in Thomson Reuters Trading Room, students are given the opportunity to prepare for professional life with industry-standard tools.
James Mirfin, Managing Director, Financial & Risk, North Asia at Thomson Reuters said that the new partnership is in alignment with the company’s goals.
“The new partnership with UM bridges academic and professional environments, and strengthens our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration at every level of the financial ecosystem,” he said. “We’re taking that step further to students and to faculty so that we could help bring best practices and expertise […] and really equip these students of today for the roles that they’re going to do tomorrow.”
UM has been working with Thomson Reuters for five years obtaining products for research and the library. The partnership has facilitated a broader access to products and services, which now enables business students to expand their education.
Meanwhile, FBA Dean, Professor Jacky So, claimed that students given access to the trading room will be much more competitive in the financial market, arguing: “If our graduates use this facility in banking and finance – since many in the banking industry use the same information and resources – they could be productive from day one. I can say it gives a very good competitive edge to our graduates.”
He added that learners can quickly reinforce analysis done in the classroom.
According to the managing director, Thomson Reuters is working with academic institutions around Asia, and the current project is one of the leading ventures in Macau.
In addition, he gave a lecture titled “The Findustrial Revolution,” reviewing the evolution of transaction platforms.
His statement was an incisive comment on the paradigm shift currently occurring within the financial services industry. The “digital revolution” is driving innovation around the world, and several businesses are combining third-party information with in-house data to create business intelligence to deliver products to consumers with speed and accuracy.
Kicking off the sixth FBA Business Week of the university, the lecture also discussed challenges currently faced by the industry and the increasing extraterritorial regulations which burden businesses within and beyond financial services. Staff reporter