By Lora Benson
The CISI Educational Trust is delighted to announce the 13 finalists and winners of its CISI Educational Trust Global Awards 2025.
The 2025 competition started with CISI global partner universities from four regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and India) nominating their best performing undergraduate and postgraduate students, from whom regional winners and runners-up were selected and other commendations awarded.
The highest-scoring students from each region, our global finalists, submitted a presentation on “Analyse the potential challenges and risks associated with the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Financial Sector” and were interviewed online by practitioners from the CISI Educational Trust.
Two global winners, one graduate and one undergraduate, each received a cash prize, as did three highly commended award winners and one runner-up. The total prize fund amounted to £21,500.
The CISI Educational Trust is delighted to congratulate Shreyangshu Deb, top-performing undergraduate student from Christ University, India and Hamza Khalid from Queen Mary University, London, UK, as the top-performing postgraduate student.
In addition, three highly commended winners each received an award: Bishal Dey from the Bengal Institute of Business Studies in India, Adith Amarnath from Christ University in India, and Cameron Andrews from A.R.U Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK. Lim Wei Xiang, the runner-up from Heriot-Watt University in Malaysia also received an award.
The top performing students were invited to attend the CISI Annual Awards Ceremony this year in April.
On receipt of his award, Shreyangshu Deb (left), top performing undergraduate student from Christ University, India said: “The journey to winning the CISI Educational Trust Global Awards 2025 in the undergraduate category has been an incredible learning experience. The first round's topic—'Analysing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Challenges in Finance'—introduced me to the rapid adoption of AI in the financial sector, an area I had not studied before. Researching AI's role in finance not only broadened my perspective but also made me realise its significance in shaping investment strategies and risk management. Now, I am more motivated than ever to upskill in this space. The final round required a good knowledge of current affairs—mostly on how geopolitics influences world economics and business decisions. This developed a sense of curiosity and enhanced my higher-order thinking skills. Moreover, interacting with a panel of seasoned professionals was an invaluable experience. I was initially in disbelief when the results named me the overall winner of this year's CISI Educational Trust Global Awards. Not only was it an achievement, but it also felt like a huge relief—my hard work had indeed paid off. I am deeply grateful to CISI for this opportunity, which marks a significant step forward in expanding my knowledge and expertise in the financial sector.
Hamza Khalid (right) from Queen Mary University, London, top performing postgraduate student, said: “I am honoured to be named the CISI Educational Trust Award Winner 2025 in the postgraduate category. I really appreciate the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment for creating this platform to explore the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in Finance. As AI continues to reshape the financial landscape, understanding both its opportunities and challenges is crucial to ensuring its responsible and effective integration. This experience has enhanced my research, analytical, and problem-solving skills while deepening my understanding of AI’s impact on finance. It has also strengthened my confidence as I prepare to take on a role in the industry.
“I highly encourage fellow students to take advantage of CISI’s wealth of resources and initiatives, which provide invaluable insights into AI and other critical areas of finance. The opportunity to learn, engage with industry experts, and gain new perspectives has been truly enriching. I am excited to take the next step in my career, applying these insights in the finance sector.”
Frank Moxon CF, Chartered FCSI(Hon) Chair of the CISI Educational Trust, commented: “Well done to all of those who took part in the CISI Educational Trust Global Awards 2025, and especially to the prize winners. The level of entries was high, and the judges enjoyed meeting students from across the world, appreciated the hard work they had put into their presentations and were delighted to answer some interesting and pertinent questions. The competition has clearly succeeded in helping talented young people to explore and make their first steps into rewarding careers in financial services.”
CISI Educational Trust Global Awards 2025 winners:
| Student | University |
|---|
| Hamza Khalid | Queen Mary University, London, UK |
| Shreyangshu Deb | Christ (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India |
| Wei Xiang Lim | Heriot-Watt University, Malaysia |
| Adith Amarnath | Christ (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India |
| Bishal Dey | Bengal Institute of Business Studies, India |
| Cameron Andrews | Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK |
| Edmond Samaha | IESEG School Of Management, France |
| Gauri Srivastava | University of Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Sai Manish K Komatlapalli | CMS Business School (Jain Deemed-to-be University) / Bangalore, India |
| Zhiwen Zheng | Ulster University / Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, China |
| Ana Pascal | Aston University, Birmingham, UK |
| Elouisa Maria Müller | University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus |
Elufisan Deborah Temiloluwa
| Anchor University, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Paul-Ewan Lucas | University Paris Dauphine, London |
| Tatiana Irman | University of Stirling, Scotland |