“Please write down your financial wishes on the fortune wheel; our opening ceremony will begin shortly!”
Recently, at the opening ceremony of the elective course “High-Quality Development and Innovation of Public Funds,” co-hosted by GF Fund and South China University of Technology, enthusiastic students began to write their wealth aspirations, turning their financial dreams into action.
This marks the second time GF Fund has implemented a systematic financial education program in collaboration with South China University of Technology, aiming to impart professional fund investment knowledge to university students and promote the inclusion of financial education within the national education framework. During the ceremony, GF Fund’s Supervisory Board Chairman, Fu Bing, delivered a speech emphasizing that high-quality development is the theme of economic progress in the new era. He expressed hope that the course would enhance students' financial literacy, aid in wealth planning, and strengthen their competitiveness in financial employment.
Huang Guoqing, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Economics and Finance at South China University of Technology, reflected on the history and achievements of the collaboration with GF Fund. He advocated for further deepening cooperation and achieving new milestones in the integration of industry and education. He urged students to take the elective course seriously, master theoretical knowledge, enhance risk awareness, and uphold correct wealth concepts for a positive societal impact.
The liaison for educational cooperation, Liang Jiaying, shared her experiences as an alumna of South China University of Technology, encouraging students to seize opportunities and expand their knowledge base. She also provided a detailed introduction to the course content and structure.
“Fund Investment 101”: The First Lesson in Financial Literacy
“Let’s assume we want to buy a 100-square-meter apartment in Guangzhou. Have you calculated how long it will take to save for the down payment? What methods can shorten this timeline?” At the beginning of the first class, “Fund Investment 101,” Wu Wei from the Wealth Management Department of GF Fund posed these questions to the students.
During the lecture, he guided students through real-life scenarios to explore the importance of financial management, presenting public funds as accessible investment tools for the general public. He systematically introduced the fundamentals of funds, including how to select suitable fund products while emphasizing the necessity of aligning investments with one's risk tolerance.
In addition to providing comprehensive financial knowledge, the course also aimed to stimulate critical thinking and enhance student engagement. To encourage deeper reflection on the value and significance of wealth, GF Fund organized a debate titled “If Given the Choice, Would You Choose University or 10 Million Yuan?”
The debate featured sharp exchanges between participants, eliciting laughter and applause from the audience. Judges noted that the debate aimed to provoke thought about the true value of wealth in life, transcending mere rhetorical competition to delve into profound discussions about wealth and life perspectives.
Promoting Financial Knowledge in Schools: A New Chapter in Industry-Education Integration
Investors are a vital component of the capital market, and mature, rational investors are essential for its healthy and stable operation. With the increasing youth demographic among fund investors in recent years, financial education services are increasingly targeting younger audiences.
Since the China Securities Investment Fund Association initiated the “One Company, One Province, One University” educational activity in 2021, GF Fund has actively responded by promoting the integration of financial education into the national education system. Engaging with campuses has become a crucial aspect of its educational efforts.
GF Fund's educational team has been actively expanding its outreach, collaborating with over ten universities, including Tongji University, Sun Yat-sen University, and South China University of Technology. In addition to developing targeted elective courses for credit, the team has enriched campus financial education formats with lectures, game interviews, simulated investment competitions, knowledge contests, flash events, and creative competitions, reaching tens of thousands of students.
As of the end of 2023, GF Fund's “One Company, One Province, One University” educational activities have been recognized as “Outstanding Educational Activities” in Guangdong for two consecutive years.
With the deepening of financial education services for young audiences, GF Fund will continue to explore new models of industry-university cooperation, closely aligning with university needs and student characteristics. The goal is to further integrate education and industry, imparting professional financial knowledge, enhancing investment risk awareness, and teaching practical financial management skills to cultivate mature and rational investors from the ground up.