USEK signed a memorandum of understanding with Master Capital Group SAL (MCG) on October 26, 2011 in order to provide students with the practice needed to enhance the scope of their understanding of finance and financial markets and in order to enhance their trading skills. The memorandum includes the terms and conditions of a virtual trading competition among business and finance students that aims at introducing MCG’s trading platforms and services to USEK students and to have the students learn and perfect their trading know-how. The 1st prize winner will benefit of an employment opportunity with MCG.

On behalf of Prof. Nehme Azoury, Dean of the USEK Faculty of Business and Commercial Sciences, Mrs. Madonna Salameh, Head of the Corporate Relations Unit at USEK delivered a speech in which she highlighted that the main objective of the new partnership is to provide students “with the opportunity to broaden your know-how and experience real financial market situations via the Virtual Trading Challenge”. She also thanked Dr. Henri Chaoul the General Manager of FXCM MENA region for his trust and for believing in USEK and the potential of its students.

In turn, Dr. Chaoul presented an overview on FXCM, pointing out that it was established in 1999 and has offices, partners, and affiliates in the major financial centers in the world (New York, London, Berlin, Sydney, Paris, Milan, Athens, San Francisco, Plano, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Santiago and Beirut). FXCM has won many prestigious awards, including but not limited to: Best Broker Research Team for DailyFX (FXStreet 2011), Best FX Broker (FX Traders’ Choice Awards 2010), Best FX Provider (What Investment Magazine 2010, Best Online FX Broker (Money AM 2010). Chaoul highlighted that thanks to over 174,000 tradable accounts, over 450,000 daily trades, and over $350 billion in trading volume, FXCM managed to establish close banking relationships with some of the world’s largest and most aggressive price providers.