Financial Mail launches new student publication

"The consensus amongst university academics is that students simply don't read enough. Lecturers struggle to get students to read prescribed text books, and have long since given up recommending financial media to their audiences," says Stuart Theobald, projects editor at the FM.

FM Campus has been made possible by the generous support of First National Bank. Says FNB's head of corporate communication, Bonny Feldman, "We are quite excited to be involved with the Financial Mail in this project. From a financial services industry perspective, in particular, it always helps to get graduates who are fully clued up on what's happening in the real economy."

The decrease in financial literacy and general knowledge among students is seen as a major concern not only by academic staff, but by future employers hoping to recruit from the current pool of students.

At the same time, students often do not see the link between academic theory and the business events happening around them. They have little desire to trawl through financial information that fails to keep them captive. The creation of FM Campus is an extensively researched solution for both sides of the impasse.

FM Campus explains events in a way that students understand - makes it relevant and personal, and includes definitions of financial terms. Students can now see how everyday events like a drop in the petrol price can be explained through theoretical concepts, such as the fundamentals of demand and supply.

FM Campus will also include possible tutorial and essay questions, in an attempt to direct student thought processes, as well as material for possible use in their coursework.

FM Campus also has sections on jobs, employment and general student interest pieces. Because students may be unsure of what a certain career will be like, there is a weekly column about a young professional in the first few years of work and their impression of it.

For R219/year student subscribers receive 30 issues of FM Campus with the regular FM. They also gain access to the FM Campus website with searchable archives and discussion forums. There is also a limited number of sponsored subscriptions available to students with financial needs.