Laurier PhD student wins international award for hedge fund research paper

WATERLOO – Yunhua Zhu, a PhD student in the Laurier School of Business & Economics, won a best student research paper award at the recent 2009 Northern Finance Association Conference, held in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Zhu’s paper was selected from a field of 24 eligible papers written by students from universities in Canada, Europe and the United States. Her paper, titled “Analysis of Hedge Fund Investment Choice,” addressed the fund manager’s optimal investment strategy of maintaining a solid track record in preserving capital and fulfilling investor expectations, and its correlation to the manager’s risk-taking measures and compensation incentives.

The award was sponsored by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and included a $500 prize.

“I am honoured to have received this award at such a prestigious event and am looking forward to my next challenge,” said Zhu. “I would like to thank Professor (Phelim) Boyle for his expert guidance and support.”

Laurier’s PhD in Management program is designed to develop graduates who are skilled in research and who have both a theoretical and practical understanding of the complex problems of business management. The program provides excellent preparation for academic, professional, and research careers.

“While our doctoral program is young, our students have been quite successful in presenting their research findings in national and international conferences and publishing their work in academic journals,” said Dr. Hamid Noori, director of PhD and masters programs at the Laurier School of Business & Economics. “Yunhua’s success exhibits the rigorous training that she has gone through and points to the excellent supervision she has received since enrolling in our program.”

Dr. Phelim Boyle, professor in finance and Zhu’s mentor, noted, “This is an outstanding accomplishment for Yunhua, who is a very hard working individual and a pleasure to work with. (The Northern Finance Association Conference) is the premier finance conference in North America and she represented Laurier and our program very well.”