HEC Montréal and the CAIA Association enter academic partnership agreement -
HEC Montréal to become the first university to incorporate the CAIA
curriculum on alternative investments into its course of study

MONTREAL, June 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The internationally-known Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, which is dedicated to education, professionalism, and ethics in the alternative investment area, announced yesterday the selection of HEC Montréal as the first academic partner in the newly established CAIA Academic Partnership Program. HEC Montréal was selected for its academic programs' relevance to today's world, its triple accreditation in management education, and its commitment to educating global industry leaders. HEC Montréal's Director, Michel Patry, and the CAIA Association's Director of Curriculum, Hossein Kazemi, signed the CAIA Academic Partnership Program agreement at a special ceremony in the School.

The signing of the CAIA Academic Partnership Program agreement with HEC Montréal is a significant step for both organizations. For the first time, university students will be taught from the curriculum that finance professionals study to earn the CAIA designation, which is the only professional designation focused exclusively on alternative investments. Moreover, the CAIA Association will extend scholarships to meritorious HEC Montréal students to help them in starting their process towards attaining the CAIA designation.

"We are extremely pleased to have HEC Montréal as our first academic partner," said Dr. Kazemi. "The School's commitment to incorporate at least 60 percent of the CAIA curriculum into its program of study is a reflection of its dedication to prepare students for a rapidly changing world and to address the industry's growing demand for qualified alternative investment experts," Dr. Kazemi said.

"We are very proud to receive this recognition from CAIA," said Mr. Patry. "For over a century now, HEC Montréal has been playing a leadership role in education and research in the field of finance, in part thanks to its distinguished faculty, among the largest in Canada. Despite the growing international competition facing the School, we have been able to innovate and remain relevant to the business world and the managers we train, as attested by our selection as a CAIA partner."

The CAIA curriculum provides investment industry participants with an understanding of the risk-return attributes of alternative investments and their role in the asset allocation process. It is designed to teach candidates how to analyze and evaluate investments in hedge funds, private equity, real estate, managed futures, and real assets, and how to construct portfolios comprised of both traditional and alternative assets. Under the CAIA Academic Partnership Program, academic partners are required to cover at least 60 percent of the CAIA curriculum. Students interested in earning the CAIA designation will be required to sit for the CAIA Level I and Level II examinations.

About the CAIA Association (www.caia.org)

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) is an independent, not-for-profit global organization committed to education and professionalism in the field of alternative investments. Founded in 2002, the Association is the sponsoring body for the CAIA designation. Recognized worldwide, the designation certifies one's mastery of the concepts, tools, and practices essential for understanding alternative investments and promotes adherence to high standards of professional conduct.

About HEC Montréal (www.hec.ca)

HEC Montréal was the first business school in North America to hold the three most prestigious accreditations in management education: AACSB International (United States), EQUIS (Europe) and AMBA (United Kingdom). The School has over 12,000 students in its 38 management study programs, from the undergraduate to postgraduate levels, including MBA programs, and employs close to 260 professors. HEC Montréal plays a leadership role in research thanks to some fifty research units (including 25 chairs), carries out projects throughout the world and is dedicated to training executives and senior managers. Since 1907, the School has trained more than 65,000 students in a wide variety of management fields.

For further information: Nina Berman, Associate Director of Marketing, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association, [phone] x119, [email protected]; Jacynthe Alain, Director, Public Relations HEC Montréal, [phone], [email protected]