London, England, is a recognized international financial center. There are more than 700 foreign-funded companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Overseas funds with a total value of more than 110 billion pounds are managed in the UK. Among the 6 law firms in the world There are 4 headquartered in the UK. As a traditional international financial center, British universities attach great importance to financial research and education, and the financial courses they offer are also very flexible and practical. In view of the popularity of ICMA applications and the attention of the majority of students to ICMA, Mr. Zhu, Weijiu’s senior British study abroad expert, was invited to elaborate on the professional course-ICMA.

Finance courses in the UK generally last three years for undergraduates and one year for postgraduates. Domestic high school students who complete one-year preparatory courses can enter most British universities for undergraduate study and obtain a globally valuable bachelor's degree in four years. The content learned generally does not exceed the following two aspects: corporate finance and international financial markets and investment. Corporate finance mainly studies company equity settings, capital institutions, and financial courses in certain industries, including finance majors in banking, insurance, and real estate industries. International financial markets and investments will involve some financial derivatives, such as options and futures.

We often say that only the best financial centers can provide world-class financial education, and the UK, with its high-quality college education, is bound to be your choice to enrich your knowledge and eventually join the domestic financial world.

What is particularly worth mentioning here is ICMA (International Capital Market Association). The association is known as the "elite association" in the global financial community. It is an organization that formulates industry regulations for the international financial market and is also a trade association for the international securities market. ICMA’s members include almost all well-known financial institutions in the world, such as Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse Group, etc.

ICMA Center

ICMA is the English abbreviation of the International Capital Market Association (International Capital Market Association), established in 1914. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, it is an organization that formulates industry regulations for the international financial market and is also a trade association for the international securities market. There are currently nearly 640 corporate members located in 51 countries in the world, the vast majority of which are financial, securities institutions and investment companies around the world. The realization of its functions is not only not subject to geographical restrictions, but also has an impact on industry ideology. ICMA's members include almost all well-known financial investment banks and institutions in the world, and most business transactions among members rely on electronic means to connect the global capital markets. Therefore, as the central institution of the capital market, the globalization role played by ICMA is immeasurable; and the height of the capital market it represents symbolizes the authority in the industry.

What does ICMA stand for?

Confidence and stability: Thousands of large securities investment transactions are completed every day among ICMA members in accordance with the trading system established by ICMA. Today, all securities and capital investment market rules and documents are formulated by ICMA to ensure the standardization and safety of transactions worldwide. Likewise, for traders, operating within a regulated market means a guarantee of confidence.

Strategic adjustment: ICMA’s flexible space - As the core organization that gathers members, ICMA adjusts its system according to market changes to make transactions easier and more direct.

Dissemination of knowledge: As an authoritative international organization, ICMA disseminates the most advanced international capital policies, making the global capital market more integrated and transactions wider.

Communication and networking: As a leader in the capital market, ICMA provides its members with a global network platform to complete decisive trading strategies at a high level.

Other main business scopes of the ICMA Center include:

- Responsible for providing various professional training courses to member units and peer institutions around the world

- To European Investment banks and investment management institutions provide specialized services

-Participate in the "Financial Industry Training Program" project implemented by the British government

Some well-known member institutions of ICMA

　ABN AMRO Bank

American Express Bank Ltd

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

AXA Investment Bank

Barclays Bank PLC

Barclays Capital Securities Limited

BNP Paribas, Paris

C.I.M. Banque, Zurich

Citigroup Global Markets Limited

Crédit Industriel et Commercial, Paris

Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited

Daewoo Securities Co., Ltd., Seoul

DBS Bank Ltd., Singapore

Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt

Fortis Bank, Brussels

HBOS Treasury Services plc, London

HSBC Bank plc, London

< p> ICAP Securities Limited, London

IXIS Corporate & Investment Bank, Paris

KBC Bank N.V., Brussels

Merrill Lynch International, London

< p> Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc

J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd

Morgan Stanley & Co. International Limited

ICMA Education and Training Strategy:

< p> The ICMA Center (International Capital Market Association Center) located at the University of Reading in the UK was established in 1991. It began recruiting master's degree students in 1994 and has now expanded to four master's degree majors and recruits undergraduate students. The center is invested by the ICMA headquarters and takes advantage of the University of Reading's expertise and advantages in cultivating management talents in the banking and financial industries. It cooperates with the University of Reading in running schools and conducting research, aiming to specialize in cultivating senior management talents in the financial industry. ICMA member institutions will give priority to graduates of the ICMA Center at the University of Reading. The center represents an innovative collaboration between the international securities, investment and banking industries and leading UK universities, which is unique not only in the UK but also among universities across Europe. It is currently considered to be the leading financial education institution in the UK due to its excellent academic level. It is the training base for providing education for international securities and investment professionals throughout Europe. It is also the largest international securities and investment training base in the world. It is a financial and business school that specializes in professional master's degree and bachelor's degree graduates. Most of its high-quality graduates work in ICMA member institutions and demonstrate their skills in the field of study.

The ICMA Center at the University of Reading benefits from strong support and close cooperation with the Financial Innovation Research Center in London. The London Financial Innovation Research Center selects senior financial experts from around the world as visiting professors at the ICMA Center every year. The ICMA Center has teaching facilities and high-quality teaching staff unmatched by other British and European universities in the field of international securities management.

The teaching staff of the ICMA Center have worked in the financial industry for many years and are rich in practical experience and academic achievements. Therefore, the ICMA Center is a rare and ideal place for advanced training in financial professions in the UK.

The ICMA Center has the most advanced computer integrated system that can collect and display transaction data from major securities and futures markets in the world in real time. Students can simulate live stock, foreign exchange, futures and other transactions in the teaching simulation room, and can use unique software Conduct simulation and analysis of risk management and integrated system management. The dedicated 120-person lecture theater is equipped with state-of-the-art audio and video equipment and can be networked to display the workings of real-time financial data systems.

The academic education courses offered by the ICMA Center at the University of Reading are:

- International Securities, Investment and Banking (MSc and BSc) 〖 Undergraduate and Master Degree〗

　- Financial Risk Management (Financial Risk Management MSc) 〖Master's Degree〗

　- Capital Markets, Regulation and Compliance, MSc (Master's Degree) 〗

　-Investment Management (MSc) 〖Master's Degree〗

Mr. Zhu, an expert on studying in the UK from Weijiu, gave the following suggestions to students when referring to ICMA: "Reading The University ICMA Center, together with Oxford University, Cambridge University, London School of Economics and Political Science, Imperial College, Warwick University, and London City University, is known as the "seven carriages in the financial world". The world's investment banks and securities trading centers give priority to these seven schools. Graduates are recruited from these seven schools every year.

In addition, the ICMA Center of the University of Reading has a wide range of professional background requirements for students, including students without any professional background in science, engineering, social sciences, etc. You can apply as long as you can prove strong mathematical calculation and analysis skills, and the chance of success is high.

Although the tuition is expensive, outstanding students still have the opportunity to apply for up to 10,000 pounds. The scholarship is equivalent to a two-thirds tuition fee reduction. Weijiu has helped students successfully apply for this scholarship.

Although the current financial crisis has affected the employment of finance majors, studying risk management is still relevant. However, the students in the risk analysis and control courses have become outstanding and have become the talents needed by many financial companies in the UK. Judging from the first-hand information obtained by Weijiu, there are currently no undergraduates studying this major in various universities in the UK. It has been pre-booked by various companies upon graduation. British universities have begun to encourage local students to choose risk management majors, replacing the old financial courses such as accounting and finance, currency, banking and investment, which were very popular a few years ago.

Because ICMA applications are currently very popular, we hope that students who are interested in this will hurry up and apply! ”