UPDATE:  THESE SEMINARS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.

DePaul University’s Center for Financial Services will offer a new Summer Institute seminar series beginning in July that will explore a range of relevant finance industry topics, from trends in risk management to the emergence of Islamic banking.

“The Summer Institute fulfills one of the center’s missions – to serve as a forum for industry discussion about financial services policymaking,” said William Obenshain, director of the Center for Financial Services. “Our goal is to help bridge the theoretical and the practical aspects of the industry.”

The seminars will be held in Room 8204 of the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following dates:

July 8: “Reinforcing Basic Risk Management Principles” – Prominent economist Carl Tannenbaum, director, Risk Specialist Division, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current risk management approaches used by financial institutions in the wake of recent economic and market downturns. Cost: $1,175.

July 9- 11: “Foreign Exchange” – DePaul Associate Professor of Finance Karim Pakravan, who recently returned to academia after a 25-year career as a senior global financial market strategist, will lead a three-day seminar about foreign exchange markets, products, forecasting and risk management in an era of growing global trade. Cost: $3,075.

July 14-16: “Islamic Banking” – Islamic banking is expanding rapidly in the Muslim world, as well the United States and Europe, and anyone doing business internationally is likely to encounter these practices. During this three-day seminar, assistant Professor of Finance Karen Hunt-Ahmed, who teaches Islamic banking at DePaul and worked in this sector in Dubai, will identify Islamic banking and finance basic terms and practices in the context of international finance and contemporary Islamic economic theory. Cost: $3,075.

July 22 - 25: “Alternative Investments” – What alternative investment strategies can portfolio managers use to maintain adequate returns in a volatile market? This subject will be explored during a four-day seminar led by Omer Ahmed, president, Abaris Capital Advisors, a Chicago-based boutique investment management firm that specializes in alternative asset management portfolio structuring and advice. Cost: $3,875.

July 30 - 31 and Aug. 1: “Structured Finance” – Asset securitization expert John J. Chung, an adjunct professor of finance at DePaul and vice president, capital markets, Inland Mortgage Capital Corp., will cover current issues in structured finance securities and how to profit from these cutting-edge investments. Cost: $3,075.

To register for any of the seminars, contact Helene Crothers, DePaul Department of Finance, at 312/362-5801 or hcrother@depaul.edu.

For more information about the seminar content or the Center for Financial Services, contact Kelly Glenn, 312/362-7531, kglenn2@depaul.edu, or William Obenshain, wobensha@depaul.edu, 312/362-8922, or visit: http://finance.depaul.edu/cfs.