The Swiss Finance Institute (SFI) is a Swiss research and scientific educational institute in the areas of banking and finance. Organized as a foundation, the Institute belongs to the most important knowledge pools of the Swiss financial center. It emerged from the integration of three institutes: the «International Center FAME for Financial Asset Management and Engineering» in Geneva, the «Swiss Banking School» in Zurich and the «Stiftung Banking and Finance at the University of Zurich».[1]
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Under the auspices of the Swiss Bankers Association, the Institute was formed in 2005 as a foundation domiciled in Zurich with seed capital of 75 million Swiss francs. The Swiss Finance Institute began its activities at the beginning of 2006 and has three regional research centers: the Swiss Finance Institute-Léman in Geneva and Lausanne comprises scholars from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, the Swiss Finance Institute-Zurich comprises scholars from the University of Zurich and the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Zurich and the Swiss Finance Institute-Lugano comprises scholars from the University of Lugano.
The foundation is carried by Swiss banks, the Swiss stock market SIX Swiss Exchange as well as the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss National Science Foundation and numerous Swiss universities. Correspondingly, the Foundation’s Board consists of key figures from economics and science. In addition to top managers from the most important Swiss banks, members of the Board include Andreas Fischer, President of the University of Zurich, Peter Gomez, Economist and President of the Board of SIX Swiss Exchange, Piero Martinoli, President of the University of Lugano and Jean-Dominique Vassalli, President of the University of Geneva. Until he took office as member of the Governing Body of the Swiss National Bank at the beginning of 2010, the Institute was headed by Jean-Pierre Danthine. For nine years prior to this, he directed the «International Center FAME for Financial Asset Management and Engineering», one of the three former organizations making up the Swiss Finance Institute today.[2] As of February 2011 the Institute is under the direction of Prof. Claudio Loderer.
The Swiss Finance Institute offers various programs in tertiary and post-graduate education, among them a Master in Asset and Wealth Management and a Ph.D. program. The faculty has over 50 academic professors and lecturers at its disposal. These include Peter Bossaerts, one of the pioneers and leading researchers in the area of Neuroeconomics.[3] The Institute also has access to professors and lecturers from other academic institutes and universities, including renowned professors such as Yacine Aït-Sahalia and Tim Bollerslev. On academic subjects, the Swiss Finance Institute also works closely with the Centre of Competence in Research FinRisk launched by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Since its formation, the Swiss Finance Institute has issued numerous publications and scientific papers. These have appeared in renowned international professional journals such as the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics and the Review of Financial Studies. They can also be found in the database of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) in New York.[4][5] Furthermore, the Institute regularly organizes symposiums, workshops and an annual conference with guest lectures and podium discussions.[6][7]