Abu Dhabi University’s College of Business launches Bloomberg Finance Lab

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has launched the Bloomberg Finance Lab at its College of Business (CoB), granted to the University in 2019 by the Ministry of Education (MoE). 

The Bloomberg Finance Lab allows professors to bring the real world into the classroom and provides students with the same platform used by the world’s leading banks, corporations and government agencies to enhance their academic studies across a wide range of disciplines. It is a financial platform that provides finance news and information, research, financial data within a trading platform that gives students a vibrant and exhilarating insight into financial markets and allows them to learn about trading, test their ideas on the stock market and work in teams to learn how to make sound investment decisions that will help boost their skillset to enter the workforce with confidence.

ADU is facilitating access to the Bloomberg Finance Lab for its students across all campuses, where the University anticipates that more than 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students will benefit from the platform. The launch of the labs will complement ADU’s academic offerings, as it will provide a dynamic link to various business programs offered to students of the College of Business, and will be used to train students in several business courses. 

Professor Barry O'Mahony, the Dean of ADU’s College of Business, said: “We would like to thank the Ministry of Education for this generous grant. We are proud to launch the Bloomberg Finance Lab at ADU, which will play a key role in bridging the gap between theory and practice and position our students to take leadership roles in the real-world economy. The launch of the Bloomberg Finance Lab reflects ADU’s commitment to ensuring that our students develop the knowledge, skills and expertise that promotes the innovative thinking that leads to sustainable organizational performance. We strive to provide the best in-class technologies and educational tools that will further enhance the students’ holistic academic experience. When coupled with our student-centric philosophy we are confident that our graduates will be able to achieve their full potential and take on the leadership’s roles required to drive organizational transformation in the UAE and beyond.”

Dr Hazem Marashdeh, Head of the division of Accounting and Finance within the College of Business, said; “The Bloomberg lab adds to the suite of College of Business programs and courses that are innovative and relevant to the industry and the profession. The College of Business’s range of state-of-the-art undergraduate and postgraduate programs are delivered by highly qualified faculty and supported by cutting-edge, industry-based research. They are tailored to meet the UAE’s business market, offering students both theoretical and practical experience designed to boost their skillsets and prepare them for distinct challenges as emerging business leaders.”

“BBA students were able to get hands-on experience of the Bloomberg Finance Lab, which helped them elevate their research and analytical skills, and enhanced their academic experience across a wide range of business discipline. Through the Bloomberg Finance Lab, ADU strives to provide its students with a competitive edge and open the door for career opportunities, as well as fostering graduates and business leaders to advance the Abu Dhabi 2030.” Dr Marashdeh added.

The Bloomberg Finance Lab allows students to monitor financial assets traded in open stock markets and helps the University integrate industry baseline data, news and analysis into its curriculum for business and faculty research. 

In light of the spread of Covid-19, Bloomberg has provided ADU’s students and faculty with free remote access to the Bloomberg platform without the need to access the University’s laboratory.

ADU’s College of Business is both EQUIS and AACSB accredited, making it among the 1% of business schools worldwide that have this double accreditation. The college offers its students a variety of well-rounded professional development opportunities as part of its premier business and management education including Bachelor of Business Administration in 7 concentrations, MBA in 10 tracks as well as the prestigious Doctorate of Business Administration.