INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR ETHICS IN FINANCE WANTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS PRIZE OF USD$20...

　　The fifth Robin Cosgrove Prize has been launched – entries from those aged 35 and under are wanted
　　
　　Proposals with fresh ideas are being sought for the 2015 Ethics in Finance Robin Cosgrove Prize. A USD$20,000 award will be given towards funding the best project idea, judged by an international panel of experts in the field.
　　
　　Applicants are asked to submit a paper consisting of a maximum of 5,000 words, including notes and annexes, but excluding bibliography, which meet the following criteria:
　　
　　Intellectual rigour
　　
　　Innovative ideas
　　
　　Clear conclusions
　　
　　The award is available internationally, and entries can be written in English or French.
　　
　　It honours the vision of Robin Cosgrove, a bright investment banker, who died at the age of 31. He believed passionately that the lack of integrity and ethical practice in banking and finance could be a major barrier to sustainable economic development.
　　
　　Dr Carol Cosgrove-Sacks said: 'The financial sector rests on trust. Robin was convinced that there was a danger that many banks and other financial enterprises were losing peoples' trust, which he feared would have disastrous results. His prescient vision from 2004 prompted the creation of the Ethics in Finance Prize, well before the financial crisis of 2008. Over the last eight years this iconic Prize has had world-wide impact. We are delighted that ACCA Global will help us to promote the Prize to young people with an interest in the accountancy, banking, insurance and other aspects of the finance sector.'
　　
　　Ewan Willars, ACCA’s director of policy and representative of the partnership for this prize, said: 'This prize is something that is at the heart of ACCA’s values, in particular that of integrity.
　　
　　'We believe that, as did Robin Cosgrove, that without it and ethics in the finance profession, not only does it stunt development of the economy, but also the general public loses faith in the profession.
　　
　　'The current economic situation around the world is case in point that the finance profession is being depended on to find solutions to resolve the crisis, so this needs to be done in an ethical way.
　　
　　The prize is managed by the Observatoire de la Finance, a Swiss not-for-profit foundation in Geneva, and Dr Carol Cosgrove-Sacks; and is in partnership with ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and CFA Institute.
　　
　　The deadline for submissions is 15 April 2015.
　　
　　For more information about the prize or how to submit proposals, visit the Robin Cosgrove Prize website
　　
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　　For more information, please contact:
　　
　　Helen Thompson, ACCA News Room
　　
　　helen.thompson@accaglobal.com
　　
　　Notes to Editors
　　
　　ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.
　　
　　We support our 170,000 members and 436,000 students in 180 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of 91 offices and centres and more than 8,500 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.
　　
　　Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.