the “authorized financial analyst” (afa) education program 1988–2016
The specialized programs The specialized programs have mainly been developed based on perceived interest in the market. NFF is particularly well connected via its members and elected bodies to assess which new courses are of interest. Outside the cooperation with NHH, NFF has always offered shorter courses that do not offer formal qualifications. In 2000, NFF offered the Portfolio Management course on its own, with involvement from Thore Johnsen, before it developed into a joint program in 2003. Similarly, the Corporate Finance, Valuation, and Advanced Credit Analysis programs were all initiated by NFF.
The Portfolio Management program The Portfolio management program targets asset managers, analysts, regulators and others who need competence in portfolio management. The program consists of five weekend meetings over two semesters, plus a final day where the students defend and discuss their project reports. The topics covered include portfolio management and capital markets theory, statistical methods, asset management strategies, risk management, performance measurements, asset specific issues (equities, fixed income, derivatives, alternative investments), macroeconomics, and regulatory and ethical issues. The lecturers are from NHH, international institutions, and Norwegian and internationally based industry professionals.
The Corporate Finance program The Corporate Finance program was launched in 2004. It starts with an intense week of study in August at the Solstrand Hotel south of Bergen. This location is famous in Norway for the “Solstrand Program”, probably the most appreciated Norwegian leadership program, offered by NHH’s partner organization, AFF8. The corporate finance program is case-based, and core corporate finance is taught with extensive student involvement in line with practice in the best American MBA programs. Each day includes a combination of lectures and case discussions, and evenings are spent in groups preparing the next day’s case discussions. Topics include corporate governance, valuation, mergers & acqui8 http://www.aff.no/en/about-aff
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