Qatar Stock Exchange launches competition for universities and business colleges in Qatar

By: Hussain M. Al Abdulla, Director, Marketing and Communications, Qatar Stock Exchange May 2019

In light of the State of Qatar's National Vision 2030, which seeks to build a strong national economy based on knowledge and economic sustainability, and in line with our own mission to improve awareness of finance and investments in the State, Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) was proud to introduce its first ever competition for students of all business colleges in Qatar on 21 March 2019.

This competition is part of QSE’s commitment to develop an appreciation of finance and investment in Qatar, and to encourage Qatari youth and future leaders to take an interest in the inner workings of the capital markets.

Under the heading 'Market Liquidity at Qatar Stock Exchange' this year’s competition called on students to identify and discuss factors affecting stock market liquidity, and to provide policy recommendations which could lead to improvements.

As an exchange we get excited about liquidity: the life blood of our markets and the oil in the machine that reduces the cost of capital for our companies, that ensures effective risk allocation and that stands as the basis of attractive investment opportunities for all. Yet, as a research subject it seems to gain little attention, and it might be perceived as somewhat abstract, or even dull. By involving students in the thought process, we wanted to get 'liquidity' on the radar and trigger excitement among academic circles to encourage further research.

The invitation was sent to all business and economics colleges in Qatar and resulted in the following impressive list of participants:

  • College of Business and Economics – Qatar University;
  • Carnegie Mellon University – Qatar;
  • Georgetown University Qatar;
  • College of Islamic Finance – Hamad Bin Khalifa University;
  • Stenden Qatar University; and
  • AFG College with the University of Aberdeen.

The students were divided into teams of three to five members under the supervision of a faculty member. In a three-week 'preparation phase' the teams conducted their research under the supervision of their faculty member(s). Resources and support were also provided by QSE, in the form of market data over the last five years, as well as further information, coaching and mentoring sessions.

The grand finale took place on 21 March 2019 where the teams’ findings were presented to a panel of three judges from the business community. The judges evaluated the presentations based on a literature review, descriptive analysis, creativity, benchmarking, and the quality of the recommendations. Each team was given 15 minutes to present their analysis followed by a 10-minute cross examination by the judges.

What a day it was! The panel and QSE were truly impressed by the work of all teams, and we can genuinely say that the results have far exceeded our expectations. These are the proud winners of this year’s edition:  

  • First Place: Carnegie Mellon University Qatar
  • Second Place: Stenden Qatar University
  • Third Place: College of Islamic Finance – Hamad Bin Khalifa University

We are very much looking forward to organising next year’s competition!