The National University of Science and Technology Quantitative Finance association (NUST Quants Association) was founded in 2013 to be the leading membership organization for quantitative finance professionals and students in Zimbabwe. The association aims to equip students with professional skills for financial careers and provide a platform for students and professionals to develop financial models and solutions to improve Zimbabwe's financial markets. The main services offered by the association include advocacy for quantitative finance professionals, an annual financial modeling competition, advisory services, investing using members' models, publications, and events.

1. Association Profile
Founded in September 2013, The National University of Science and Technology Quantitative
Finance association (Hereafter NUST Quants Association) is the leading and largest membership
trade association of the opinion and Quantitative Finance profession in Zimbabwe, which delivers
insights and intelligence to guide the decisions of companies and individuals providing products and
services to consumers and businesses in the financial sector and students who have a passion for the
quantitative finance. Our main aim is to present a platform where students are equipped with
professional skill on how best to conduct themselves in the financial sector. We seek to provide a
platform where students and young professionals can compete in developing sound financial
models, and offer solutions on how best to improve the Zimbabwean financial markets. This is also a
forum where corporates, professionals and students meet together to determine the future of
quantitative finance in Zimbabwe. The main services we offer include Quants Profession Advocacy,
Quants Financial Modelling competition, Quants Advisory, Quants investment, Events and
Publications such as Journals and Bulletins.
Our products in detail
Quants Advocacy
We have noticed that there is a huge gap between industry and students. The quants advocacy will
seek to bridge the gap that exists, through providing a channel of dialogue and interaction between
Nust quants and individuals and organisations in the financial sector. We will engage in dialogues
where we lobby for involvement of our students in financial markets. The RBZ issued a rule that all
financial institutions should have at least a mathematical person acting in the office of a quant to
handle investment companies’ portfolios or have inputs on how funds should be managed, but at
the present moment that is not fully implemented. Hence through quants advocacy we seek to drive
the point home. We will also bring big investment companies, investment banks and the ZSE to
NUST such that we can engage in dialogues with them to try to understand what is really needed of
people of our calibre (mathematically astute) out there in the financial markets.
Quants Models
This portfolio seeks to provide a platform where students and professionals can showcase their
mathematical and financial modelling talents. Competitors will be required to develop financial
models in excel, Visual Basic, C++ and Java. If done exceptionally well, a students’ model will be
presented to our sponsors and will be used to market the student. Prizes will be given to the best

2. model developed. For instance if a student does well, we will sponsor them for one professional
exam of their choice, just to give them a head start into life. This section will be greatly monitored by
our patron and the association president to ensure that there is no bias in judgement of the best
model. Banks and investment institutions will be approached to determine the models that they
would want students to develop
Quants Bulletin
Seeing that this is new initiative and the awareness of quants is very low in Zimbabwe, The Quants
Bulletin seeks to unravel more information about Quantitative finance. This is a platform of
interaction and advertising for other associations across campus as well as corporates who have
subscribed for corporate membership. Corporates can also use this as a platform to reach out to the
student community as well as advice students as part of social responsibility. Students studying
Journalism and media studies whose passion is in financial markets will use this platform to write
articles in financial markets and investments in Zimbabwe.
Events
An annual conference, with eminent speakers from Zimbabwe and abroad will be held. Numerous
other events, including breakfast, luncheon and evening meetings where issues pertinent to the
profession are discussed. The economy requires the development and implementation of financial
strategies. Through the annual conference, the Association provides an interactive platform for
researchers, academics and professionals alike. This consequently benefits the entire industry, and
the economy at large.
Nust Quants investments
Using the mathematical students developed by our members we seek to invest in organised
exchanges as well as over the counter. NUST Quants investment is responsible for managing our
fund as an association and determining how best to grow our capital base
Membership
Membership principally includes invitation to Nust Quants’ semester conference; access to research
library videos, training seminars on financial modelling, participation in the Nust quants financial
modelling competition and access to our skills database.
Associate Membership
All students from the National University if Science and Technology who do not qualify for ordinary
membership but are able to show sound financial modelling appreciation
Honorary Membership
Open to financial practitioners, investment banks, hedge funds, captains of industry and our
sponsors and partners who have potential to be future employees of the NUST Quants ordinary
members.
Corporate Membership
Corporate Membership shall be opened to any organization, corporation, enterprise or company
that is registered and operates within the laws of Zimbabwe.

3. Ordinary Membership
Students studying Finance, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research and
Statistics, Applied Physics, Actuarial Science and Insurance and Risk management who are
passionate about quantitative finance and financial modelling
Life time
Open to all persons who have been ordinary members of the association, but have since graduated
from National University of Science and Technology
Membership Corporate
benefit
Access to
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skills data
base
Participation
in financial
modelling
competition
Invitation to
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Quants
Events
Access to
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our financial
models
Determine
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topics for
financial
modelling
competition
Training
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seminars on
financial
modelling
Participate
in the affairs
of the
association
Access to
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the Quants
bulletin for
a fee
Ordinary
Life time
Honorary
Associate
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