CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, hosted a Professors’ Roundtable in Kolkata, bringing together 16 professors from 15 leading colleges and institutions to discuss strengthening wealth management education and industry-academia collaboration. The session, themed “Preparing the Future Generation of Wealth Management Professionals”, focused on curriculum alignment, emerging industry trends, skill development and the growing importance of technical expertise and ethical foundations in finance careers.Sayan Banerjee, Senior Officer, University Relations – India, CFA Institute, said the organisation aimed to create meaningful dialogue between academia and industry and help educators align learning outcomes with skills sought by employers. The session was led by RashmiModi, CFA, and Vinay Bagri, CFA, both experienced investment professionals.
Kolkata remained central to the discussions, with participation from institutions including IIM Calcutta, St. Xavier’s College, University of Calcutta, Globsyn Business School, Bhawanipur Education Society College, Calcutta Business School and Jaipuria College. Participants discussed structured internships, industry-relevant certificate courses and a Finance Olympiad as possible ways to bridge the industry-academia gap.
Prof. Vivek Patwari of Bhawanipur Education Society College said the roundtable offered practical pathways to make finance education more experiential and career-focused, while MoitrayeeBasu of St. Xavier’s College highlighted the CFA Program’s rigor in investment analysis, ethics and portfolio management.