SDSB Team Wins the Pakistan Final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge 2024-25
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LUMS is proud to announce that a team of senior students from the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) have won the 17th Pakistan Final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge, qualifying for the sub-regional final against top South Asian universities!
Congratulations to the winning team, The Short Sellers, comprising Accounting and Finance students from the batch of 2025: Maria Salman, Junaid Abdul Hadi, Muhammad Ahmed Awan, Mahgul Ayesha, and Muhammad Affan Tariq. They were supported on their journey by SDSB faculty advisors Mr. Hashim Ali and Ms. Samia Ahmed Ali, alongside industry mentors Mr. Muhammad Abdul Hayee, Head of Equity, ABL Funds; and Mr. Tasleem Aleem (ACCA).
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Students are tested on analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. Teams work with faculty advisors from participating universities and volunteer industry mentors to compete with peers from other universities at the local-level competition organised and judged by CFA Society Pakistan members and volunteers. The winning university team(s) then advance to the sub-regional, regional and global championships.
The 17th Pakistan final took place in Karachi in February 2025, with finalists from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences Karachi Campus (FAST-NU), The Institute of Business Administration, NED University of Engineering and Technology, and LUMS.
A high-profile panel of judges for the event included Mr. Syed Akbar Ali, CFA, EVP, Head of Capital Markets & Investor Relations, Mr. Raza Jaffri, CFA, Head of Equities, Intermarket Securities; Ms. Amreen Soorani, Head of Research, Al Meezan Investment Management Limited; and Mr. Nayab Babar, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan.
Mr. Akif Saeed, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), attended the event as the chief guest, and Mr. Asif Peer, Group CEO and MD, Systems Limited, served as the guest of honour.
The LUMS team was pronounced the winner at the event and will now represent Pakistan in the sub-regional final of the challenge, competing against top South Asian universities. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our students and faculty on this remarkable accomplishment for LUMS and wish them the best in the next stage of the competition!
