Financial Excellence: AUPP Business Students Secure Top Honors in CFA Research Challenge Season 8
PHNOM PENH, February 28, 2026 — The School of Business and Management at AUPP is celebrating a major academic milestone this week. A dedicated team of five business students—Rona Tann, Seavlang Phou, Mengsea Hak, Zhu Ly, and Seihareach Mam—has been named the First Runner-Up in the eighth season of the CFA Institute Research Challenge.
This global competition is often described as the “Investment Olympics” for university students, requiring participants to take on the role of research analysts and defend their financial recommendations before a panel of industry experts.
The Road to the Podium
Success in the CFA Research Challenge is not achieved overnight. The AUPP team underwent months of intensive preparation, supported by a dual-layered mentorship system:
- Academic Guidance: Led by Faculty Advisor Professor Pisey Pin, ensuring the team’s methodology met the highest academic standards.
- Industry Insight: Guided by Industry Mentor Ms. Sophie Tang, providing the “real-world” perspective necessary to navigate complex market data.
What Makes This Achievement Significant?
From our perspective at Schools Cambodia, this win is a testament to the “Global Standard” of education provided at AUPP. The competition tests several high-level professional competencies:
- Financial Modeling: Building complex projections of a company’s future performance.
- Equity Valuation: Determining the “fair price” of a stock using sophisticated mathematical models.
- Investment Ethics: Adhering to the strict CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
- Public Defense: Presenting their findings and answering rapid-fire questions from seasoned Chartered Financial Analysts.
This achievement reinforces AUPP’s mission of “Study Locally, Live Globally,” showing that students in Phnom Penh are performing at the same level as their peers in top business schools worldwide.