Mission of the Center
The Center for Alternative Investments’ (CAI) mission is to be a leading international source of research, education and thought leadership on alternative investments that aims to be at the forefront of this evolving industry As an organization staffed by scholars and experts, the Center will develop the data and set a research agenda comprising topical issues relevant to the institutional investment community. A parallel objective of the Center is to teach and disseminate this knowledge.
Background on the Center
In 2007, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School received a $10 million gift to establish the Emory Center for Alternative Investments. In the Spring of 2008, Klaas Baks was appointed as the Director of the Center and Narasimhan Jegadeesh as the Faculty Director. The Center’s long-term agenda will be shaped by a Center Board, co-chaired by Lado Gurgenidze, former Prime Minister of Georgia and Larry Benveniste, Dean of Goizueta Business School. This Board will have membership that represents all constituents, including leaders in the alternative investments industry, distinguished scholars, and others, including regulators and bankers.
The Emory Center for Alternative Investments was created to provide thought leadership for the major issues facing this industry, primarily through collecting and analyzing data. Much attention has turned towards these asset classes as they have matured in recent years. Typically, such an important segment of the financial markets would be heavily studied by academics and others. However, the broad and exclusive nature of alternative assets has resulted in a severe lack of reliable and complete data. An important goal of the Center is to establish a research agenda and develop data that will assist both investors and regulators as they navigate investment decisions and structure the marketplace.
In addition to this focus, the Center was conceived as a meeting place for people interested and active in alternative investments. The Center also aims to engage students and practitioners alike through classes, executive education, seminars, and networking events. An open forum for discussions among the leaders in these fields will be critical to understanding and charting the future.
Background on Emory’s Goizueta Business School
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory’s Goizueta Business School is one of the world’s premier business schools, offering top-ranked degree programs, including an Undergraduate BBA, Executive MBA, Evening MBA and Full-Time MBA, as well as a doctoral program. Additionally, the School offers a portfolio of non-degree courses through Emory Executive Education. Our faculty is equally renowned, having been recently ranked in the top 10 most influential in Marketing, Finance and Accounting by the Chronicle of Higher Education.