In her course, Financial Derivatives, for the Master’s programme specialisation Quantitative Finance, Assistant Professor Maria Grith has been collaborating with Optiver, one of the world’s largest market making firms. Their in-house training platform, Optibook, has been made available to the students, providing a virtual environment that offers a highly detailed simulation of financial exchange markets.
There’s a quiet murmur in the lecture room, with students intently focused on their laptop screens. On the surface, it might not seem like much is happening, but the tension is palpable. Only the flickering numbers on the big screen offer a glimpse into the students’ minds. At one point, the lecturer asks a student about their strategy, prompting a light-hearted comment that draws laughter and briefly breaks the tension.
It’s the final class of the Financial Derivatives course, and the students are engrossed in an online trading competition on the Optibook simulation platform. For this session, all laptops are open, and the exchange has been reset. Although they’ve been using the platform throughout the semester, rarely have they experienced the intensity of trading with so many participants at once. And as any trader knows, the more players on the market, the more volatile it becomes. The result is a fast-paced, highly interactive exercise that mirrors the competitive nature of derivative trading.
Bridging theory and practice
‘Financial derivatives are a notoriously dry subject to teach, and it’s often a challenge to keep students engaged,’ Grith explains. ‘This practical component adds an interactive element to the course while also introducing uncertainty—a key feature of real-world trading. It brings the subject to life in a way that theory alone simply can’t.’ Since the collaboration began three years ago, in 2021, Grith has adapted her teaching and assessment methods to incorporate this experiential approach.
In addition to offering their platform, Optiver delivers two guest lectures during the course, covering the differences between theory and real-world trading. They also host online Q&A sessions where students can ask any questions they might have related to the functioning of the exchange. In March and April of next year, the students will have the opportunity to attend Optiver’s Career Kickstarter, where they’ll dive into trading algorithm design, build essential skills through interactive trading games, connect with industry professionals, and potentially secure a Graduate Trader offer. ‘Our experience working with Erasmus School of Economics gets top marks,’ says Robbert Pullen, Head of Academic Partnerships at Optiver. ‘There is a very strong match between us. Our main goal here is to help students understand the role of market makers - and hopefully spark their interest about the work we do at Optiver. Making a difference by connecting with students? That’s awesome.’
An engaging learning experience
‘Applying theory in a realistic setting really helps me understand why certain things work the way they do,’ says Milena Mustafajev, a student following the course. Her peer, Carlos Cabrera Diaz, adds: ‘It’s incredibly useful having Optiver guest lectures—they bring a practitioner’s point of view. And, of course, the trading competition at the end pushed me to work even harder.’
- More information
For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public Relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics, rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile: +31 6 53 641 846.
