Students Maximize their M.S. in Math Finance Through World-Renowned Researcher

Nationally-ranked master's program welcomes Dr. David X. Li
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Students Maximize their M.S. in Math Finance Through World-Renowned Researcher

The Belk College of Business had the honor of hosting world-renowned and well-respected researcher, Dr. David X. Li, who is famous for his seminal copula model in the credit derivative market. Current M.S. in Math Finance students, as well as alumni and members of the business community, were able to learn, first-hand from his expert insight thanks to the Math Finance Seminar Series. His presentation, “Some of the Latest Thoughts on Credit Portfolio Modeling” brought theoretical and practical perspective to the topic of financial engineering and provided attendees with a deeper understanding of Dr. Li’s research around modeling. As a quantitative analyst and actuary, Dr. Li is an experienced executive with extensive specialization in risk management, product innovation and modeling for the financial industry.  His model has changed the global financial market over the last twenty years.

Dr. Li discussed the sophisticated angles of credit portfolio modeling, based on his broad experience in financial risk management for investment banking and insurance companies. His presentation provided an overview of the copula function approach to credit portfolio modeling, including key theoretical advantages and deficiencies. He explained how the equilibrium approach relates to the copula function, providing the audience a deeper background knowledge of the topics. Dr. Li also covered the properties of copulas for stochastic processes, teaching the attending students a way to apply the theories in a relevant way. Each graduate student was able to learn and ask questions directly while feet away from one of the world’s top analysts. They heard first-hand how the technical aspects of analysis are brought to life.

Dr. Li discussed the sophisticated angles of credit portfolio modeling, based on his broad experience in financial risk management for investment banking and insurance companies. 

With exclusive lectures with industry leaders such as Dr. Li, Belk College M.S. in Math Finance students are developing skills that will allow them to actively contribute in their professional roles to portfolio optimization, risk management and capital allocation.

The seminar is a strong example of the unique benefits that the Belk College provides its students to strengthen their educational experience with leading industry researchers and professionals.  It was also a thrill for all attendees to hear directly from such a pioneer in the financial analytics industry.

This particular lecture is only the latest in the M.S. in Math Finance Seminar Series, which is typically open to the public. Many current students, as well as faculty, alumni and professionals from leading financial services institutions join these seminars to take advantage of the special opportunities.  By attending seminars like this, students can better appreciate the significance of their master’s program and how it provides a higher level of value to their classroom experience.

The seminar series, which hosts many guest speakers and field experts, is just one more example of why The Financial Engineer ranks the Belk College M.S. in Math Finance #14 among the best financial engineering programs in the nation, alongside other well-respected institutions including University of Southern California and Cornell University.

Featured Presenter

Professor David X. Li 
Professor of Finance
Faculty Co-director of Master of Finance at Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF)
Associate Director of Chinese Academy of Financial Research (CAFR) at Shanghai Jiaotong University

Introduced by Dr. Weidong Tian

Director of the Master of Science in Mathematical Finance Program
Professor of Finance
Distinguished Professor in Risk Management and Insurance
Research interest in several areas of finance, in particular, asset pricing


​​For information on UNC Charlotte’s M.S. in Mathematical Finance program, visit mathfinance.uncc.edu.
For more information about The Financial Engineer, the ranking and the methodology, visit 
tfetimes.com.