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DominicConnor
Posts: 41
Joined: July 14th, 2002, 3:00 am

1/3 quants are french ?

June 21st, 2007, 7:05 pm

We typically ask to see PhD theses at entry level.If we can't understand it, that doesn't help.Whatever % of quants you think are French, >80% of the money earned by quants is in English environments. Also, English is the first or second language of nearly quants. If you use French or German, 80% of the people you want to hire you, can't understand what you've spent 15% of your entire life writing.
Last edited by DominicConnor on June 20th, 2007, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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torontosimpleguy
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Joined: July 12th, 2004, 5:51 pm

1/3 quants are french ?

June 22nd, 2007, 12:45 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: jaraelI think it's more a case of "where you have one, you have many". The French seem to prefer hiring solely other French speakers, no matter which "nationality" the IB. I actually know of one person for whom this is a recruitment policy.I heard the same story about Indians and partially Chinese (in general, not only finance).
 
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jfuqua
Posts: 6
Joined: July 26th, 2002, 11:41 am

1/3 quants are french ?

June 22nd, 2007, 4:08 pm

Does Russia or any of the other former Soviet Union countries, or China [excluding Hong Kong] have programs in mathematical finance at either the MS or PhD level ? Of all the quants I know or know about, those from the above all have mathematics or physics degrees [a few with CS degrees]. My experience has been that in the U.S. [excluding second or older generation Americans born], 35%+ of quants are from Russia, former Soviet Union or eastern european countries; 20-30% Chinese; 10% German; <5% Indian. The only French quants I dealt with were from Murex. With academics who have at least 20% of their work devoted to mathematical finance, [again excluding second or older generation American born] Germans, Indians and French would all increase their proportions but still Russian/former Soviet/eastern European and Chinese still the largest percents.
 
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Cuchulainn
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Location: 20, 000

1/3 quants are french ?

June 23rd, 2007, 2:59 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: jfuquaDoes Russia or any of the other former Soviet Union countries, or China [excluding Hong Kong] have programs in mathematical finance at either the MS or PhD level ? Of all the quants I know or know about, those from the above all have mathematics or physics degrees [a few with CS degrees]. My experience has been that in the U.S. [excluding second or older generation Americans born], 35%+ of quants are from Russia, former Soviet Union or eastern european countries; 20-30% Chinese; 10% German; <5% Indian. The only French quants I dealt with were from Murex. With academics who have at least 20% of their work devoted to mathematical finance, [again excluding second or older generation American born] Germans, Indians and French would all increase their proportions but still Russian/former Soviet/eastern European and Chinese still the largest percents.Two of the courses I gave recently had the following makeup:1st (16 students): 9 Chinese, 4 Indian, 2 Greek, 1 Ukraine2nd (11 students): 7 Chinese, and other nationalitiesThe former Soviet Union has many mathematicians and physicists so it is logical that they might wish to work in this area.
Last edited by Cuchulainn on June 22nd, 2007, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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jfuqua
Posts: 6
Joined: July 26th, 2002, 11:41 am

1/3 quants are french ?

June 23rd, 2007, 5:43 pm

Cuchulainn mentioned something that I'd forgot about---Greeks. Off hand I can't think of Greek quants [I'm sure I'll remember as soon as I finish this] but there "seems" to be a disproportionate number teaching finance. I'd mentioned this to George Constantindes, Taso Malliaris and Costis Skiadas and they indicated there was a reason and they would explain it but we never got back to it. For pretty obvious reasons [their markets], I don't think I know one British quant in the U.S.---any there are, are probably over 40 and lived here for many years. I suspect the same [over 40 and lived here for years] would be true of finance academics..
Last edited by jfuqua on June 22nd, 2007, 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.