MUFG in EMEA has announced new partnerships with the University of Oxford and the University of Birmingham. The firm will sponsor an annual prize for Best Master's Thesis at both universities.

At the University of Oxford, the prize will be awarded for the best dissertation in the Mathematical and Computational Finance MSc programme. The thesis prize at the University of Birmingham is specifically focused on the accounting programme, which has integrated climate change throughout, and will be awarded to the best MSc quantitative research on the topic of climate change.

The initiative will be overseen by MUFG's Global Head of Quant Innovation, Dr Chris Kenyon. Chris is also honorary associate professor of mathematics at University College London, where he teaches mathematical sustainable finance.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Chris Kenyon said:

"MUFG is delighted to support masters' students at both Oxford and Birmingham universities. As well as celebrating excellence with these thesis prizes, we also see the opportunity to push the practical application of using Mathematical Finance to support the decarbonisation agenda.

"In my opinion, it doesn't get any more practical than accounting. If you can make changes happen in accounting, you can also make changes in people's and companies' behaviour. The combination of accounting and climate change makes Birmingham's master's programme almost unique in the UK."

Rama Cont, Chair of Mathematical Finance at the University of Oxford, said:

"Our MSc in Mathematical & Computational Finance provides students with the mathematical modelling skills needed to tackle challenging problems such as sustainable finance. We are glad to partner with MUFG for this prize which will further motivate the interest of our students in this important area."

Dr Tom Cuckston, Head, Department of Accounting, University of Birmingham, added:

“The University of Birmingham's MSc Accounting and Finance programme equips students with the technical and conceptual tools to become future leaders in the accounting profession and responsible business, tackling global challenges such as climate change. We are therefore delighted to collaborate with MUFG to offer this prize for best dissertation addressing climate change."

The two thesis prizes will be awarded annually over the next five academic years. The winners, who will be chosen by the universities, will receive a sum of £500 each for their research.

As a global financial leader, our expertise is rooted in a 360-year heritage of financial stability and commitment to our clients' future. Our corporate mission is to be a foundation of strength, committed to meeting the needs of our clients, serving society, and fostering a better world. At MUFG, our goal is to develop specific action plans to align with our commitment to empower a brighter future. For example, through our Carbon Neutrality Declaration, we pledge to achieve net zero emissions in our finance portfolio by 2050 and our own operations by 2030.