The IFSA Network, formerly known as the International Finance Students Association,[1] is a global non-profit organization exclusively run by students. Based initially at the Rotterdam School of Management and founded in 2014.
The International Finance Student Association (IFSA Network) traces its roots back to 2014 in Rotterdam,[2] specifically at the Rotterdam School of Management. The initial purpose of the network was to create a community for individuals studying Finance, fostering connections both amongst themselves and with established figures in the financial sector.
The IFSA Network operates under a decentralized yet cohesive organizational structure[3] designed to balance local autonomy with global coordination. Situated in educational institutions across the world, the individual chapters serve as semi-independent units,[4] each governed by their own board comprising at least a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, and General Secretary.[5] These boards manage day-to-day operations and supervise regional activities[6] tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of their local student bodies. Chapters also usually have specialized departments, such as Finance, Marketing, and Events, each headed by a department manager who oversees a team of analysts.
| 2023-2024 | Ritien Mohan (IFSA BITS Pilani) | Nathanaël G. Dürst (IFSA Geneva) | Ridhima Shrivastava (IFSA Rotterdam) | Parinnay Chaudhry (IFSA SSCBS) / Suhani Jain (IFSA Hansraj) | Francisco Gajardo (IFSA UDP) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | Nele Bredtmann (IFSA Rotterdam) | Santiago Delgadillo Gómez (IFSA Colombia) | Nathanaël G. Dürst (IFSA Geneva) | Shrusti Singh (IFSA Hansraj) | Ignacio Pinto (IFSA UdeSA) | |
| 2021-2022 | Ornella Gallo (IFSA UCEMA) | N/A | Iulia Rumeus (IFSA Geneva) / Janusz Skipiol (IFSA Rotterdam) | Sandesh Dholakia (IFSA Hansraj) / Aditya Mahajan (IFSA SSCBS) | Pablo Torres Alarcón (IFSA Colombia) |
The IFSA Trader’s Cup is the world’s largest student run trading challenge.[7] All people studying in a recognised university are free to participate. The competition relies on securities trading, and aims to give students an opportunity to distinguish themselves from the competition. The competition is held once per academic year, starting in spring of 2016. For the second edition of the competition, students from more than 35 universities, located in 28 countries on 6 continents competed.
The Global Case Competition at Harvard[8] is the world’s most prestigious case competition organized by students.[9] During the first edition, a team from HEC Paris,[10] a leading French university, won the challenge.[11] The second edition was won by the London Business School.[12]
The various IFSA Network chapters try to offer their communities various local events to connect with the professional world.[13] Often, an industry professional will come to the IFSA Network events and meet students. The purpose of those venues is to give students a taste of the professional world, share tips and knowledge, and give an opportunity to network.
In 2018, the IFSA Network in cooperation with the Boston Consulting Group and InvestSoc, organised the first, three-week long International Cape Town Case Competition. The competition has a unique format where teams consisting of 2 to 4 participants, propose solutions for crises that are presented to them. In their solutions, participants are able to showcase their knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills on a current macroeconomic issue. A jury picks the 15 best international teams and the best local teams, from Cape Town. The selected teams arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, to participate in the second round, and present in front of a select panel. The winning team is awarded a cash prize of 5000 South African Rand.
It has established chapters in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and India among other locations. These chapters focus on providing localized resources, events, workshops, and competitions aimed at career development and knowledge acquisition in finance. As of 2023, The IFSA Network has the following chapters:[14]
University of Cape Town
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi
Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Delhi
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
St Stephen's College, Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Hansraj College, Delhi
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Goethe University
Ludwig Maximilian University
Technical University
Vilnius University
New Economic School[16]
Rotterdam School of Management
University of Geneva[17]
University of Sankt-Gallen
Universidad del CEMAUniversidad de San Andrés
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano
Universidad EAFIT
Harvard University
Columbia University