Financial institutions tighten rules on prediction markets
Canadian financial institutions are tightening employee rules around prediction markets as platforms expand access to event-based contracts. Patrick Augustin, associate professor of finance at McGill Desautels, supports this proactive approach.
Banks and insurers are restricting wagers tied to financial indicators, companies or information employees may obtain through their work.
McGill strengthens finance education in Luxembourg
McGill University has launched its Master of Management in Finance in Luxembourg, strengthening connections between academic research and one of Europe’s leading financial centres.
McGill Desautels researchers secure $4 million in SSHRC funding
McGill Desautels researchers secured $4 million in funding through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) 2025 and 2026 competitions. Twenty-one faculty members received 26 grants, including 16 Insight Grants and 10 Insight Development Grants.
Patrick Augustin on European finance, talent and the case for financial literacy
Patrick Augustin, Associate Professor of Finance at Desautels and Director of the McGill Luxembourg Centre for Finance (MLCF), recently joined Serge Weyland, CEO of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), on the RTL Luxembourg podcast The Lisa Burke Show to discuss the future of European finance, talent and financial literacy. 
McGill establishes Luxembourg as a new hub for Finance education
McGill University is bringing its globally ranked Master of Management in Finance to Luxembourg, offering working professionals the opportunity to earn a top North American finance degree in the heart of Europe.
Master of Management in Finance program gives McGill a foothold in leading European financial centre
McGill has expanded to Luxembourg, where it will deliver finance training in one of Europe’s major financial centres.
McGill University brings top tier finance training to Luxembourg
McGill University’s expansion into Luxembourg is being spearheaded by finance professor Patrick Augustin, who initiated talks with the Ministry of Finance, ABBL and ALFI after identifying a gap in high‑level, finance‑focused executive education.
European public pensions struggle with the weight of demographics
Europe is aging, and some national pension funds are better prepared to manage its changing demographics than others. Many European countries use a ‘pay as you go’ model in which current workers fund the retirement of current pensioners.
Professor Augustin advocates for stronger communication in banking risk management
Professor Patrick Augustin addressed the critical gap between technical risk analysis and executive decision-making at the ALRiM-GARP Banking Risks Conference in Luxembourg in January. Speaking alongside regulators and industry leaders, Augustin argued that risk managers must develop strong communication skills to translate complex metrics into actionable insights for boards and senior leadership.
Deloitte Fondstag highlights urgent need for pension reform across Europe
As Europe confronts structural challenges in its pension systems, industry leaders gathered at Deloitte Luxembourg’s 25th Deutscher Fondstag to assess the role of the fund sector in strengthening longterm retirement security. Professor Patrick Augustin of McGill University offered a datadriven lens on the issue, presenting findings from ALFI’s study Europe’s Productive Capital Gap.
European sell-off of US treasuries could trigger global economic crisis
As US President Donald Trump threatened to take control of Greenland by any means necessary, European countries weighed a response. After decades of low levels of investment in their militaries, Europeans wouldn’t fare well in a head-to-head confrontation with an invading force from the United States.
Professional money managers can make mistakes with their money too
Are managers of large investment funds good investors on a personal level? Not necessarily, says Patrick Augustin, Associate Professor of Finance at McGill Desautels. “There can be a correlation, but also not,” says Augustin. “It’s very difficult to beat the market, on average. We see people doing it, but it raises the question of is it luck, or is it skill? That being said, we can always limit mistakes.
Public pension funds deliver higher returns when they use a capitalized model
Some national pension funds operate on a ‘pay as you go’ model, meaning that retiree pensions are primarily funded by current workers. But other national pension plans—including the Canada Pension Plan—operate on a capitalized model, meaning that workers contributions are invested to fund future payouts.
Complicated crypto products recall derivatives at the centre of the global financial crisis
Cryptocurrencies are volatile, risky and lack transparency. For banks and investors alike, that’s risky. “Some like to think ‘this time it’s different’,” Prof Patrick Augustin told PaperJam.lu. But for Augustin, crypto today recalls Lehman Brothers, the financial services firm whose collapse set the global financial crisis in motion in 2008. The similarities are striking.
Patrick Augustin sets the record straight about Luxembourg
Luxembourg is best known as a wealthy tax haven--if people know it at all. The tiny and wealthy country is a significant financial centre, but it also has the reputation of being a little dull. But Professor of Finance Patrick Augustin begs to differ.
