The collaboration will connect students and faculty with finance professionals through mentoring, career events, and knowledge exchange.

The American University of Beirut − Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) and CFA Society Cyprus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 27, 2026, to strengthen finance education and create opportunities for students to connect academic learning with professional practice.

The agreement was signed at AUB Mediterraneo’s campus in Pafos by Dr. Wassim El Hajj, Rector of AUB Mediterraneo, and Dr. Stella Mourouzidou Damtsa, Board Member and Chair of the Research Challenge and University Relations Committee of CFA Society Cyprus.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration on career events, guest lectures, seminars, mentoring, and professional development. This includes an annual CFA Society Cyprus Career Event connecting students with employers in the investment industry. The MoU also provides support for university teams participating in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, including mentorship from CFA charterholders and access to industry professionals.

 “Connecting academic learning with professional practice helps students understand how their knowledge can contribute to the world around them,” said Dr. Wassim El Hajj. “Through this collaboration with CFA Society Cyprus, we look forward to creating opportunities for our students to learn from practitioners, explore career pathways, and develop their professional judgment.”

Joint activities may address topics such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations, artificial intelligence in investing, and portfolio and risk management, alongside ethics and professional integrity. The collaboration will also connect students and young professionals with the Society’s Mentorship Program and provide information about the CFA Program and other professional pathways.

 “Working with universities is central to our efforts to bridge financial education and professional practice,” said Dr. Stella Mourouzidou Damtsa. “This agreement with AUB Mediterraneo gives students direct access to mentoring, practical learning, and the investment community, and helps them build the skills and connections to start their careers.”

“For our business students, opportunities to apply their learning to real companies and financial decisions are an important part of their education,” said Dr. Alain Daou, Dean of the Faculty of Business at AUB Mediterraneo. “Through the 2025–26 CFA Institute Research Challenge, our students researched a listed company, prepared an equity research report, and presented their findings to industry professionals. This agreement builds on that experience and strengthens our collaboration with CFA Society Cyprus.”

The collaboration supports CFA Society Cyprus’s Alliance for Financial Education in Cyprus, an initiative bringing together academia, the investment industry, and the CFA community to strengthen the quality and relevance of financial education.