French banking group BNP Paribas and the Singapore Management University have joined forces to set up the first hedge fund center in Asia, working closely with the London Business School.
The SGD1.4 million establishment aims to undertake high-quality academic research in the hedge fund area, educate finance practitioners and the investing public about hedge funds, and raise the profile of the hedge fund industry in Asia and Singapore.
Strategically located in Singapore, the BNP Paribas Hedge Fund Centre at the Singapore Management University (SMU) will play a vital role to its counterpart in Europe, by driving research by SMU finance faculty and generating insights and analysis with a special emphasis on hedge fund development in Asian markets.
It is hoped that the center will become the focal point for academics, practitioners and the investment community to meet and exchange ideas.
BNP Paribas intends to be at the forefront of the hedge fund industry. The new center is established at SMU with the objective to become the leading academic authority in Asia for hedge fund education and research, said Jean-Pierre Bernard, CEO for Singapore and regional head for South-East Asia and India at BNP Paribas.
We are excited as this is the first time BNP Paribas is funding a major initiative at SMU. This new partnership will establish the first of many close relationships between BNP Paribas, a leading global bank, and a leading management university in Asia, he continued.