Chicago Booth Announces $60 Million Alumni Gift to Name its Master in Finance Program

Study in US: This gift is granted from alumni Clifford Asness and John Liew. To recognize their contribution, the new program will be called the Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program.

Study Abroad: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business announced a $60 Million alumni grant to name its Master in Finance Program. University of Chicago trustee John Liew, AB ’89, MBA ’94, PhD ’95 and Clifford Asness, MBA ’91, PhD ’94 have granted the gift to name the university’s new Master in Finance Program. To recognize their contribution, the new program will be called the Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program.

“Thanks to Cliff’s and John’s extraordinary generosity and leadership, the Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program will ensure that talented college graduates quickly reach the frontiers of modern finance,” said Madhav Rajan, Booth dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting.

“By providing broad support for faculty, students, and other areas of the program, this investment will enable the school to successfully carry out its mission to influence and educate this promising new group of leaders,” they added.

Asness talked about the reason for making this new gift, “When I think about the difficulties of professional and intellectual success I think ‘there but for the grace of Chicago go I!’ Everyone needs some luck in life, and my great luck was being there when I was. This chance to give something back — helping make Chicago for others what it was for me — is beyond gratifying. Thank you, Chicago.”

“It’s hard to overstate the impact that our time at Booth had on us professionally. We literally built our careers and our business around what we learned. This really is the least we can do,” added Liew.

On the impact of this gift, UChicago President Paul Alivisatos, AB ’81, said, “I am deeply grateful to John and Cliff for their generous investment in Chicago Booth’s new curriculum and programming. Their commitment will make it possible for future generations of students to benefit from a Booth education.”

Armin Afsahi, vice president for alumni relations and development said, “Both Cliff and John have made significant philanthropic investments in the university since their time as students, supporting the mission to provide a transformative education and conduct groundbreaking research. With this new gift, they will make a meaningful difference in the lives of students who will go on to make their own impact in the multidisciplinary field of finance.”

Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program Details

This is a 15-month duration program. It is intended for fresh college graduates who want to enrol in a master’s degree and are looking to build their analytical aptitude so that they can start a career in finance and have the competitive skills to grow in this field.

Asness and Liew Master in Finance Program will offer a curriculum based on advanced quantitative methods in finance. The students will learn about the technologies and advances which are shaping the world in the coming time such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. The new program was announced in 2023.

The program offers exclusive Leaders in Finance Speaker Series which focuses on advising and career exploration. It will help them to stand out in the job market.

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