ABGSC Women in Finance Foundation sponsors women’s study trip to Oslo organized by the student initiative “Women’s Investment Club”

From 4^th to 6^th of March, the Women’s Investment Club (“WIC”) student groups at the Norwegian School of Economics (“NHH”) in Bergen and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (“NTNU”) in Trondheim, arranged a joint trip to Oslo for 38 female students. The three-day tour to the capital featured visits to several companies within the Norwegian finance industry, including ABG Sundal Collier, DNB Carnegie, Summa Equity, Pareto Securities, and Norges Bank Investment Management. The purpose of the trip was to provide insight and networking opportunities to the female participants, and to inspire them to pursue a career in finance. The Foundation was proud to sponsor the trip, covering some of the transportation and accommodation costs for participating students, with the goal of making the experience as financially accessible as possible to attend.

This is the first time that the WIC trip has been held. WIC’s objective with initiatives like this is twofold: to lower the barrier to entry into the finance industry by building confidence and competence among female students, and to create strong professional networks among female students and members of the finance industry. The young women who joined the trip were selected through an open application process in which their motivation, academic background and interest in finance and investing were evaluated. The target group was female students primarily in in their third to fifth year of study – i.e. those who are preparing for internships and graduate roles.

The Foundation’s Marianne Daae commented that: “The WIC trip was an excellent opportunity for female students to learn more about the finance industry! The Foundation has supported similar activities organized at Swedish universities for many years, which have been well received and which we believe have helped increase participants’ interest in a career in finance; these trips have typically feature company presentations, tours of the firms’ offices, insight into their recruitment processes, and the opportunity to meet staff and ask questions. We are pleased to see that WIC has adopted the same approach, and we hope the participating students from NHH and NTNU were encouraged to explore the range of career opportunities available within the finance industry.”

This is the second time the Foundation has had the pleasure of supporting WIC NHH and WIC NTNU, having last year contributed to activities hosted by both groups; you can read more about them here and here. In addition to the WIC groups at NHH and NTNU, the Foundation has also provided financial support to the WIC initiatives at the Copenhagen Business School, BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).

About WIC
WIC (Women’s Investment Club) is a newly-established initiative with branches at several universities across Norway (including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU),  the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University, and the University of Oslo) as well as in Denmark, Spain and the UK. The groups focus on building a strong community of women who can support each other, share knowledge, and grow together in the world of finance, in which all female students are invited to attend, whether they are just beginning their finance journey or are already passionate about the field.
WIC’s goal is to create a collaborative space in which women can learn, grow, and connect with like-minded peers while gaining the skills and confidence to pursue careers in finance. Through workshops, events, and social gatherings, the student groups aim to provide:

• Hands-on learning: Practical workshops on investing, financial analysis and career development
• Expert insights: Talks and lectures from finance professionals and industry leaders
• Networking opportunities: Social gatherings where members can connect and share experiences

Learn more about the student initiative on LinkedIn here,  on Facebook here and on Instagram here.