Insider Media Limited

Birmingham’s Aston Business School will open a 'Financial Trading Room' powered by Thomson Reuters today. The classroom demonstration, the first of its kind in the West Midlands, will aim to help postgraduate students experience life as a financial trader.

The trading room will be laid out in the style of a classroom with four rows of desks supporting 20 computer workstations. At the front of the room is a 21 ft long, wall-mounted Daktronics LCD Ttcker display which provides live market data and news.

In addition, there will be two Thomson Reuters InfoPoints to provide experience of working in the finance industry. There is also an instructor console at the front of the room linked to an overhead projector which allows classroom demonstration of all the software.

The facilities will help 120 postgraduate students on the Finance and Investments and Investment Analysis Masters courses try out the lifestyle of a financial trader.

Professor Jim Steeley, head of Finance and Accounting at Aston Business School, said: “This 'Financial Trading Room' is the result of teamwork and collective belief in our vision. I am absolutely delighted to announce the official launch of this dedicated facility which we believe will add value to the already high-quality learning environment.

"Our students are the workforce of the future, globally, and we aim to equip them with skill and knowledge of the highest standards possible.”