The School has launched a new programme, Project Aspire, to place MBA students into early-stage impact investment funds in emerging markets.
The School has launched a new programme, Project Aspire, to place MBA students into early-stage impact investment funds in emerging markets.
The programme supports MBAs hoping to make a career pivot into the sector, as well as sharing their business expertise with fund managers.
The project has a particular emphasis on supporting smaller fund managers, especially those with gender lens or diversity-focused funds, through providing a diverse, global talent pool.
Oxford Saïd has one of the most diverse student bodies among top-tier MBA programs, with 47% women and 92% international students, and robust representation from Asia, Africa, and other emerging markets.
The placement empowers MBA students with on-the-job learning and credibility, while helping fund managers operate with a cost and talent advantage.
The program is ongoing, and the School expects to place 30 students with 15 funds between now and September. The focus is on funds investing in Africa and Asia.
The impact investment industry is growing, expanding from under $20 BN assets under management a decade ago to nearly $1 trillion today. As the industry grows, it is extending into an array of sectors, and fund managers need to be able to reflect gender, racial and geographic diversity. This diversity and coverage are needed to source and invest in solutions to the world’s biggest problems with the right market, technical and socio-cultural knowledge.
As one of the premier business schools for impact-focused professionals, Oxford Saïd aims to support this evolution in the human capital that powers the industry.