In order to comprehensively improve the quality of talent training and cultivate future financial academic elites, the School of Finance of Nankai University makes full use of international excellent teachers, academic resources and school-running conditions to set up the “Finance International Academic Elite” distinguished undergraduate talent training program in 2018.

Through the school’s secondary selection and establishment of the “Finance International Academic Elite” distinguished class, through strengthening academic training and cultivating international development capabilities, we strive to cultivate students into top-notch financial academic talents with broad basic knowledge, solid basic theories, coordinated ability and quality, independent thinking, innovative spirit, strong academic ability and broad international vision. In 2022, it will be the fifth enrollment of the distinguished class of “International Academic Elite of Finance”. 

Selection and admission 

Student Number of distinguished classes

The number of students in the distinguished class of “Finance International Academic Elite” (hereinafter referred to as the distinguished class) is 35

Selection range and time of distinguished classes

Selection range: full-time undergraduate students admitted to Nankai University

Selection time: Freshmen are admitted and a second selection is conducted.

Selection assessment

First-round examination:

Examination subjects: mathematics, English. The school will arrange the examination after admission.

Second-round examination:

Principle: differential examination

Format: interview

Second-round examination entry ratio: in accordance with the relevant requirements of the school 

Assessment: Combined with the candidates’ school entrance examination results, ranking in the province or region, etc., it focuses on understanding and examining the candidates' political ideological consciousness and attitude, thinking logic, communication and expression skills, professional and academic understanding, thinking and basic ideas for future university study and life, comprehensive quality, etc., as well as the examination of English speaking, listening and communication skills. 

One-way withdrawal mechanism

In order to ensure the quality of students in distinguished classes, the closed management and one-way withdrawal mechanism is implemented after the distinguished classes is successfully established. In specific, in each academic year, students in distinguished classes can apply for voluntary withdrawal.

In each academic year, if the courses that fail have accumulated a certain number of credits, the student in distinguished classes must withdraw.

Distinguished class training

Relying on the national first-class undergraduate professional construction point——finance major, the Distinguished Class Project of “Finance International Academic Elite” project makes full use of the training resources of top financial talents at home and abroad to serve China's major demand for top financial academic talents, focusing on innovative practice in terms of teaching team, training mode, teaching content, academic development platform, and distinguished training, so as to strengthen diversified capabilities and international financial academic talent training. 

1. Education mode

“International Academic Elite of Finance” distinguished class’s talent training, is under the “major basic + professional” training system of the School of Finance, based on the financial professional training program, focusing on the course teaching content, teaching methods, training standards, ability and academic development and other aspects of targeted and characteristic distinguished design, the implementation of international, high-level international cooperation education (teaching) mode, core professional courses in the form of English teaching. Students can choose the doctoral courses of the School of Finance and various academic resources for doctoral training.

2. Cultivate characteristics

The school carries out targeted intensive training for students in distinguished classes in terms of professional knowledge, theoretical depth, academic literacy and international ability training, and has the following main features and advantages:

Renowned Teachers and personalized academic guidance

Students in the distinguished class of “Finance International Academic Elite” will receive lectures and academic guidance from the world's top experts and scholars, including Nobel laureates, and an international team of outstanding young and middle-aged teachers. The school assigns professors or associate professors who love undergraduate teaching, with rich teaching experience, profound academic attainment and academic influence to each student in the distinguished class as academic tutors, and track and guide each student’s academic development throughout the training process.

Rich training of academic ability

The school integrates high-quality resources at home and abroad, inside and outside the school. On the basis of curriculum teaching and practical teaching, it carries out various forms of academic ability training for students in distinguished classes, and enables students to widely participate in scientific research practice and obtain academic ability training through regular academic lectures, academic exchanges at home and abroad, and the establishment of innovative research projects for distinguished classes.

Diversified teaching modes combined with innovative practical ability training

The school develops the innovative practice education model, designs and develops open and diversified teaching modes such as case teaching and experimental practice, and multi-level innovative scientific research and practical training. It leads students to carry out social investigations in society and industry, conduct practical ability training at industry-university-research practice bases, guide students to participate in various professional knowledge and skills, practical application, innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and improve their practical and innovative capabilities.

Multi-channel international academic exchanges

The school preferentially recommends students in distinguished classes to world-class university exchange opportunities, and encourages students to think deeply and explore through international academic exchanges. The school encourages and supports students to participate in academic exchange activities such as domestic and foreign study exchanges, international academic conferences, and provides round-trip travel fees, accommodation fees, language tests fees and other subsidies and scholarships to help students continuously broaden their international vision and promote their international academic exchanges and development; The school organizes and carries out various forms of academic ability training and open, diversified and international academic exchange activities to help students' academic growth.

Priority is given to recommending students to doctoral programs

The school preferentially recommends PhD programs from world-class universities and direct doctoral programs from our undergraduate programs to students in distinguished classes.

Distinguished support and honorary certification

The school has set up a number of financial education development funds to provide financial support for the characteristic training and practical activities of students in distinguished classes. Students of the distinguished class will graduate with a bachelor's degree in finance and obtain the “honorary certificate” of the “Finance International Academic Elite” characteristic talent training program.

3. High-level laboratory and rich data resources support

The School of Finance has established high-level laboratories, libraries and rich database resources, which can provide a basic guarantee for carrying out international and high-quality teaching and scientific research. The experimental center of the School of Finance covers an area of more than 1,000 square meters, and has a data resource center, a big data laboratory, an international financial market simulation laboratory, a banking systemic risk research laboratory, a behavioral finance laboratory, a professional degree graduate training laboratory and other characteristic laboratories. The Ningyi Hongdao Study of the School covers a total area of 500 square meters and has a collection of more than 10,000 books, which can accommodate more than 100 people to study and read at the same time. In addition, there are more than 20 multi-functional seminar rooms, providing convenient and intelligent places for students to carry out learning and academic exchanges and seminars.

4. Further education and employment

Among the graduates of the 2018 class of International Academic Elite of Finance, a total of 23 students go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, New York University, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Michigan, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Nankai University and other well-known universities at home and abroad for further study, with a further study rate of 82%. Some students go to government departments and well-known enterprises at home and abroad to lead the path of youth with patriotic service spirit and contribute to the construction of the motherland.

Activity silhouette of The Distinguished Class Project of “International Academic Elite of Finance”: