«Financial education unlocks your potential to a new level in both running a company and entering financial fields»

Kyungse Park, a student of the online Program "Master of Finance", shared his learning experience and told about participation in the international program "Vienna Asset Management".

— Hi! Could you tell us about yourself?

— Hello everyone, this is Kyungse from Seoul, South Korea. I am a 25 years old master's student at the Higher School of Economics, on the Program “Master of Finance”. I am also the co-founder of LUOES cosmetics company and I am currently developing new ventures in both Russia and Korea.

—  What was your educational background? Why have you chosen the “Master of Finance” Program?

— My educational background is BA in English literature and language at a well-known Korean university. From the study of linguistics to science, this was quite a leap from the finance major I study in HSE. I decided on the “Master of Finance” program because of my strong passion for the financial field. I also wanted to major in a specialty which demands expertise and practical usage. While it is one thing to have a sense of money, I realized that having a financial education unlocks your potential to a new level in both running a company and entering financial fields.

— Was it difficult to adapt to financial disciplines?

— At first, it was an adaptation to make calculations again, but the reasonable learning curve helped me to settle in without big challenges. As an example, I had to refresh my knowledge of matrix calculations during the first module. But by the end of the year, I found myself doing complex stochastic calculations without a problem. I have also received 5/5’s during my first master's year. This was possible by closely following lectures and dedicating extra time to sharpen up on advanced math.

—  What benefits do you find about the Program?

— Before mentioning the benefits of the program, HSE university itself is recognized as the top-tier in Russia, especially in the economics and financial area. With that being said, each subject in the program is carefully curated by professors who are experts in their field and or CFAs. I benefited from this lineup of professors and familiarized myself with the quantitative side of finance, capital market finance, corporate finance, and even project/venture finance. This program is also flexible, which is perfect for those who are passionate about learning but require more flexibility in learning schedules.

—  How do you find the faculty staff? Who is your favorite professor?

— Our program manager Uliana has been most helpful from the admission stage to managing and scheduling all components of our program. I feel at peace knowing that if there are any problems or questions, they will be attended to and resolved. My favorite professor is Elena Dimova, as I have also completed the term paper under her supervision. She is a great professor who gives extremely helpful lectures with calculations based on real-life analogies and I hold the highest respect for her.

— How do you like the practical part of the Program? Which knowledge have you applied during your working processes?

— As this is a “Master of Finance” Program, the practical part of this program often involves quantitative calculations, excel worksheets, and analyzing financial statements. We often put our knowledge to the test with projects that are proxies of real-life projects and transaction cases. My favorite part has to be building calculation worksheets in excel as part of preparing the financials.

All of these skills have been applied to my working processes, as I implemented company financial statements in accordance with IFRS, optimized leverage in corporate capital structure and prepared financial strategies for potential exit. Everything I have learned from the program could be used practically and has been essential in my work.

— You had a great result at “Vienna Asset Management” this year. Could you tell us about the event and the secret of your success?

— “Vienna Asset Management” program of 2022 was hosted by FH BFI Wien in coordination with the Raiffeisen Bank which also has branches across Russia. This program was hosted onsite with around 20 master's students from 5 different partnered universities. Upon arrival, we were tested on our overall portfolio theory/equity pricing calculation skills. Then after a week of additional lectures from Raiffeisen bank experts, we were tasked to build the optimal Chinese equity ETF. 

As a result, I received a top mark of 1 (excellent in the Austrian system) and my team placed second in the construction of the optimal Chinese ETF product. It was a great chance to confirm that practical skills learned from the “Master of Finance” program have helped me to excel in international settings. 

—   What do you want to wish our prospective students?

— I wish you all good luck on joining the HSE alumni and beginning your journey of being a financial specialist in the “Master of Finance” Program!