Executive Vice President of The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Mr. Punsak Vejanurug said that the TSI, SETTRADE.Com, the mai, and the SAA will jointly host the Young Researcher Competition (YRC) to train quality analysts for the capital market.
“The YRC project will pave the way for students all over the country, regardless of their fields of study, who wish to pursue careers as securities analysts. The project will help them learn how to produce good research reports. Furthermore, they will have an opportunity to accumulate knowledge and skills useful for their career paths, through training conducted by the TSI and its associates in each round of the competition,” the SET EVP said.
The selection process is comprised of 4 rounds: Round 1: Fundamental knowledge test. Five test centers, in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Songkhla, and Pitsanulok will be provided. Upon passing the initial test, 500 qualified persons will receive training in “Financial Information and Analysis” and “Equity Instrument Assessment” from the TSI and “Researching through SETSMART” from SETTRADE.
Round 2: There will be 200 qualified persons after this round. The qualifiers will be trained about technical analysis from the SAA plus have the opportunity to visit the listed companies they’re conducting their research on.
Round 3: The qualifiers will each produce a research report on a company listed either on the SET or mai, as per the criteria of the selection committee. The 50 shortlisted works will be selected for further presentation. The authors of these reports will be entitled to CISA (Certified Investment and Securities Analyst Program) Level 1 training and examination in 2006. This training is worth THB25,000 and will also have a chance to work or become trainees in leading securities/investment management companies.
Round 4: The authors of the ten best research reports will be awarded the honor of being named one of the ‘Top 10 Best Young Researchers’ and receive a THB10,000 cash prize each.
Final round: The best three research works will be awarded ‘The SET’s Young Researcher Award’. These 3 winners will be able to go abroad for study tours, worth THB50,000 each. Furthermore they will each receive financial support to undertake CFA (Chartered Financial Analysts) Level 1 training and testing in 2006 worth THB60,000 each. Additionally the winner, 1st runner-up, and 2nd runner-up will receive THB50,000, THB30,000, and THB20,000 cash prizes respectively.
“Total prizes, both financial and non-financial, are worth more than THB5 mln. Participating students who are qualified in each round will gain a great deal and learn more to develop their individual potential,” Mr. Punsak added.
SETTRADE’s CEO, Mrs. Chanisa Chutipat, said that “SETTRADE’s policy is to support all kinds of youth activities -- whether they be in music, sports or this research competition -- that we’re confident will help develop quality human resources for the market. This project also helps people learn about and access the SET’s information system.
“SETTRADE supports the project by providing the SETSMART (SET Market Analysis and Reporting Tool) package that contains fundamental data useful for securities research analysis via the Internet, the ‘Accessing Stock Fundamentals with SETSMART’ book, and SETSMART training to all 500 first qualifiers. Therefore all of them will be equipped with essential information similar to real analysts.
“SETTRADE will also be the main supporter for the cash prizes for 10 finalists and overseas study tours. The total prizes are worth approximately THB800,000. Qualified research works will be disseminated via SETTRADE’s website at www.settrade.com, the top accessed investment website.”
Mr. Vichate Tantivanich, President of the mai, noted that the mai is ready to support projects aimed at developing Thailand’s youth. He said, “The YRC project will be useful for the mai, investors, and entrepreneurs alike, as it’ll increase the number of quality research reports on mai-listed companies, hence increasing awareness of the market.
“The mai will award the title ‘mai Star Researcher’ to the winner producing the best research on a mai stock. This person will receive a THB50,000 scholarship for an overseas study tour, THB60,000 for CFA Level 1 training in 2006 and a THB30,000 cash prize. In addition, the mai will be granting a THB10,000 cash prize to each of the five outstanding researchers on mai stocks.”
Dr. Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, President of the SAA, said that “The YRC project is essentially a material cooperative effort of the capital market organizations in developing the market’s human resources. The project will systematically be training future securities analysts while they are still in college so that they learn the right approach from the very beginning.
“The SAA will support the project by training 200 Round 2 qualifiers on how to do research, how to conduct executive interviews and tips on how to write a research report. The trainers will all be leading experts.
“The SAA has been collaborating with various organizations in training quality securities analysts. This includes projects such as its Securities Analysts Workshops and its Professional Counseling for Students,” he ended.
For more information and an application to the YRC project, please access the TSI website at www.tsi-thailand.org through June 20, 2005.
