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.
Spring Finance Workshop 2025
The fourth edition of the Spring Finance Workshop took place from April 27 to 29, 2025, bringing together top scholars in the field of finance to explore emerging themes across banking, investor expectations, climate finance, asset pricing, and corporate decision-making.
McGill Desautels professors and lecturers recognized at Faculty Awards
The McGill Desautels Faculty of Management acknowledges the vital contributions of research, teaching, service, and public engagement in inspiring future leaders. Through our annual Faculty Awards, we celebrate the exceptional achievements of our faculty members across various programs and disciplines. This year, we are proud to honour the following distinguished individuals:
Making payments on time and in full can help improve your credit score
Credit scores play an essential role in our financial lives, but they are calculated by private companies, and there is little transparency in the way they are calculated. Still, you can take steps to ensure your own credit score is good. “Make loan payments on time and keep credit card records in good standing,” Prof. Patrick Augustin told Consumer Affairs.
Innovative citation metrics seek to address shortcomings of traditional measures
Counting citations is an important way that a scholar’s academic influence is measured, but not all citations are created equal. Sometimes, widely-cited researchers don’t have much influence beyond their own narrow academic niche. New platforms like OpenAlex and Scite adjust for this type of difference and seek to provide a more balanced picture of influence across disciplines—as well as whether a citation is supporting, challenging or simply mentioning the original work.
Shadow banking is growing – and it’s a hidden risk to the stability of the financial system
Shadow banking is playing an increasing role in the financial system. Private equity firms, investment funds and mortgage finance companies all employ alternative lending strategies that are lightly regulated, and Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is concerned about how much exposure Canada’s banks have to this type of lender, who are collectively known as non-bank financial intermediaries.
