“I firmly believe that the students nurtured under this program will become excellent researchers!”

Hyemin Kim is a PhD student of Finance from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore who joined the Vienna Graduate School of Finance (VGSF) for one semester as visitor student. The VGSF was founded in 2005 as a joint initative of WU Vienna, University of Vienna and the IHS – its hub is located on Campus WU and provides a competitive PhD education. Read below about Hyemin Kim’s experience at VGSF and in Vienna.

WU Blog: Why did you choose VGSF for your visit?

Hyemin Kim: I wanted to experience the research environment at one of the top European universities. After checking out the lists of seminars and published papers, I came to conclusion that VGSF is the place I was looking for. Moreover, I have traveled to Europe on several occasions previously and have always wanted to live in Vienna, a city with an enormous cultural heritage.

WU Blog: What did you like most about VGSF?

Hyemin Kim: I love everything about VGSF, including its facilities, seminar series, and classes. However, if I had to pick only one thing, I would say, “I greatly admire and love the students, professors, and staff members of VGSF.” When I first came to this institution, everything seemed new and unfamiliar to me. However, the people at VGSF helped me adjust to this new environment. One of the aspects I really love about VGSF is that its students usually have their lunch together if they do not have other plans. During lunchtime, we talk about various topics and share information with one another. I really love this culture!

Furthermore, in terms of research, the students are very active, smart, and willing to share their opinions. Hence, I received a lot of good feedback and learned a great deal. At VGSF, I was able to attend numerous events and classes and could utilize all the facilities available for VGSF students, although I am a visiting student. I greatly appreciate everything that they provided and taught me.

WU Blog: Can you tell us about the highlights you’ve experienced?

Hyemin Kim: My answer would be the numerous presentation opportunities I received. VGSF provides plenty of such opportunities to PhD students through VGSF conferences, PhD research seminars, and advanced topics in finance. By virtue of these opportunities, students are allowed to present their ideas on paper and receive valuable feedback.

I also took such classes and experienced how important it is to do so. Further, I initiated my job market paper here and received an opportunity to present it. Subsequently, I received a lot of valuable comments from the PhD students and faculty members, which was extremely helpful for me. Additionally, I believe that these classes and conferences enable students to be good presenters as well.

“VGSF provides plenty of such opportunities to PhD students through VGSF conferences, PhD research seminars, and advanced topics in finance”

WU Blog: Which aspects did you like most about living in Vienna?

Hyemin Kim: Vienna is an extremely beautiful, nature-friendly, and safe city. If one wants to enjoy the arts, nature, and good food, one can always find proper places here to do so, quite easily. One of the best things is that since the school is located at the heart of the city, I could enjoy an impromptu short outing on my way back home.

WU Blog: Why would you recommend VGSF to other students?

Hyemin Kim: Attaining a PhD is a long journey that may have numerous obstacles that one has to overcome. However, if one has good peers who have taken a similar path and brilliant professors who are willing to provide their much-valued advice, one can certainly enjoy this journey. To this end, I highly recommend VGSF. Its students and professors are very open and active, which is one of the most important factors when selecting a PhD program.

Moreover, I think that the VGSF program has a very strong theoretical background and provides plenty of opportunities to its students, such as attending conferences, presenting papers and ideas, and meeting with seminar speakers. I firmly believe that the students nurtured under this program will become excellent researchers, without a doubt.

Apply now!

Do you want more information about VGSF? The PhD in Finance is open for applications until January 31st, 2019! Check out the VGSF website for application and admission.