Global competition gets students to take on challenge of investing sustainably

The 2022 McGill International Portfolio Challenge (MIPC), in its 6^th year, asked undergraduate students from around the world to devise innovative portfolio strategies that could achieve high returns while still ensuring a sustainable future. Participating teams had to consider the same choices institutional funds would need to make to transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, acting as advisors for a fictional superannuation fund in Australia. Ninety-six teams from 21 countries competed for $50,000 in cash prizes at the event, which was presented by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP). The challenge’s founding partners include many of the biggest names in asset management, such as BlackRock, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), CPP Investments, CIBC, and PSP Investments.

Two teams from the University of Sydney and the Chinese University of Hong Kong tied for first place, with runners-up from the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of New South Wales - Sydney. The MIPC is one of the world's most lucrative international student competitions, now part of the Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), that aims to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and industry practices.