Oxford Brookes students enhance financial trading skills with new virtual trading floor

Students at Oxford Brookes University can gain experience of trading on the financial markets by making mock transactions, thanks to a newly installed computer suite.

Oxford Brookes Business School has unveiled a brand new Bloomberg Trading Suite, consisting of  16 computers with software that mirrors the same system used by professionals working in finance to monitor the fast-moving financial markets.

Students will have access to real-world financial market data on the Bloomberg electronic trading platform as part of their learning, preparing them for their first steps into the industry.  

The students will be able to make mock transactions, with a focus on sustainable finance and ethical trading that has social and environmental benefits. 

Professor Tim Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School, said: “It is fantastic that our students will benefit from our investment in these new facilities, and the focus on sustainable investing reflects our broader commitment to sustainability and responsible business.”

The Bloomberg Trading Suite is located in the Clerici building on the Headington campus and will be used by both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Students can view information such as security values, equities and foreign exchange— just as professional bankers, corporations and government agencies do in the real world.

In September 2022, the Business School unveiled a new Marketing and Social Media lab, giving marketing students the chance to learn skills in graphic design, video editing, web development and photography.

Professor Vorley added: “The Bloomberg project represents a significant investment in the Oxford Brookes Business School. Alongside the Marketing and Social Media Lab, it reflects a continued commitment to programme innovation and student experience.”

Professor Nicolette Nichels, Associate Dean Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes, said: “Our students will have the opportunity to learn about and evaluate the impacts of sustainable investment, from green bonds to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) linked financing and climate financing.”