NEWS

ICU Students Won a Special Prize at CFA Institute Research Challenge Japan Competition

Update: December 24, 2024

The CFA Institute Research Challenge 2024-2025 Japan Competition (hosted by the CFA Society Japan) was held from August 3rd to December 7th. The following students from the College of Liberal Arts participated as the representative team from International Christian University and won a special prize (the Kubota Prize): Kentaro Takahara (2nd year), Hironori Kobayashi (3rd year, major: History), Kaito Nagaoka (2nd year), Nago Nishimura (2nd year), and Yuya Okazaki (2nd year) .

Over the course of the four-month competition, students studying in fields such as finance and financial affairs with the aim of becoming corporate analysts or stock fund managers have the opportunity to put the theories they have learned to the test in the practical arena of corporate research, and to supplement those theories with new experiences. In addition, the chance to interact with CFA Society members, seasoned professionals currently engaged in corporate research, is also a valuable asset.

A total of 31 teams of students took part in the competition, which entailed researching the target company, Kubota Corporation, and writing their reports in English. The eight teams that passed the first screening, including the ICU team, competed in the final review held on December 8th, where teams gave their final presentations.

As a result of the judging, Kyoto University's Team C and Rikkyo University's Team A will advance to the Asia-Pacific Regional Competition, and then onto the Asia-Pacific Regional Competition and the World Competition.

Comments from the awardees

Kentaro Takahara
Starting with financial analysis, this competition, which required us to write reports and give presentations all in English, was extremely rewarding. It was such a joy to see the results of our efforts come to fruition in the form of the Corporate Award under the guidance of Mr. Arai. Looking back, the experience of working on this over the course of a summer during my university years has become a great asset for me, even more than the prize itself. I will continue to work hard in my studies with humility.

Yuya Okazaki
First of all, I am happy that the hard work of the considerable time we spent as a team was recognized. Through this competition, we were able to deepen our practical skills in corporate analysis and improve our ability to write reports and give presentations in English. Though it was a challenge that even those of us with prior working experience found difficult, in a sense, the content of the competition was even more enjoyable than work.

Nago Nishimura
Through this challenge, which lasted over half a year, I not only improved my financial knowledge, but also would work from the end of my classes until the next morning, and with the deadline looming, I was prepared to stay up all night. Through this experience, I was able to gain a deep understanding not only of knowledge and skills, but also of the value of work and the power of unity.

Hironori Kobayashi
During the tournament, especially after we had qualified for the final for the first time in ICU history, it was a time of groping in the dark. Although the result we were aiming for was not achieved, we were able to achieve a different outcome in the form of the Special Prize. This would not have been possible without the passionate guidance of Mr. Arai, and the CFA members who worked with us. Finally, we have high hopes for our school's victory next year.