Four students described as “exceptional” from the Asia Pacific region and Africa have achieved London work placements in the CISI GET Awards.

Two of the four, one from the Philippines and another from Singapore, will work for London-based Mazars Financial Planning.

Joshua Chow, from Singapore, is completing a diploma in fund management and administration with Nanyang Polytechnic.

He said: “Through the visit to London I hope to improve my networking and social skills.

“A week’s worth of work attachment in London will allow me to learn how western culture and work ethics operate in business and observe how these aspects may or may not differ from Asian company structures.”

Final year undergraduate student, Mary Damian, 19, from the Philippines, is studying business administration with a major in financial management at the University of Santo Tomas.

She said she was “excited to see the real world happening beyond the concepts we are studying at our university.”

She added: “It is also my very first experience of travel and visiting the financial capital will make this experience even more memorable.”

Two other winners of all-expenses paid trips were Aya Elbuhaisi, from Egypt, and Louveshan Pillay, from South Africa.

They have gained placements at State Street Global Advisors and SVS Securities respectively.
 
The GET Awards process tests students’ financial services knowledge.

They aim to give students international exposure to support “diversification and employability in the financial services profession.”
 
To enter the Awards CISI global partner universities were invited to nominate students.

The process differed across the regions but included either/or a combination of submission of a personal statement, an 800-word essay, interviews and presentations.
 
Kevin Moore Chartered FCSI, CISI director of global business development, said: “We are delighted to welcome these four outstanding students who have worked so hard to achieve these work placements.

“Their persistence and ambition has been demonstrated through their serious approach to our awards process.

“We know the firms where they will be spending their time are excited to help them get the most out of their experiences in the business environment.
 
“We are aiming to ensure that these students have the opportunity to gain an overview of the international financial services profession and obtain some useful insights which they can both share in their home countries and apply in their own career development.”