A new ethical and sustainable finance

Let's immediately erase from our mind the idea of a twisted finance, the "devil" at the center of intrigues, often with an international dimension. The finance that iactually becoming increasingly popular today is the one that rewards social and sustainable projects and the companies that are committed to carrying them out. Without finance they would not be possible. This message is very dear to Laura Zanetti, associate professor at the Department of Finance at Bocconi University and director of the degree program in Economics and Finance since 2014. "It is finance for sustainable development," explains the professor, "a sort of infrastructure, a fundamental tool for growth that involves everyone, from governments, to citizens, to businesses. And one that rewards, in fact, those who are committed to making the future better. This is the case of social bonds, for example, or loans at subsidized rates that banks grant to those who present sustainable projects."
The degree course in Economics and Finance offers a solid and rigorous wide-ranging preparation and examines the main dynamics of the economic-financial system and its components: markets (for example stock exchanges), intermediaries (commercial banks and investment banks, insurance companies, asset management firms, etc.) and financial tools (such as shares and bonds). And it does so in a city, Milan, which is one of the main financial centers of Europe a feature that contributes to making it even more attractive. "Finance is a very broad and transversal field, the skills that are taught are relevant in many areas. In particular, over the course of the program we give a lot of space not only to the stock exchange and the financial markets, but also to the regulatory part and the business world ".

The program in Economics and Finance is in Italian, even if the semantics of the subject, as the director explains, "is increasingly international in nature." However, in a novelty introduced recently, three courses entirely in English have been included in the program of the third and final year: "This is a formula designed for those who do not feel ready to attend a course entirely in English but who, in this way, can prepare gradually and then move on to a Master of Science in that language. But it is not the only recently introduced aspect," continues Laura Zanetti," because in the first year computer science and critical thinking courses are now also offered."

To define the ideal "clients" of a course like the one she directs, Laura Zanetti has no doubts: "It can be accessed from any high school program, what matters above all is motivation. It is certainly a challenging course, but it is not necessary to have a quantitative background."