About

Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) was established at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in April 2009 by the Shanghai Municipal Government.

SAIF's mission is to become a world class institution of research and advanced learning in finance and management. SAIF is committed to developing top talent and cutting-edge knowledge, with a focus on Chinese markets and their global connections.

SAIF is driven by a desire to inspire, a passion to transform, and a mission to lead. SAIF upholds four core values:
• Professionalism: Treating people and business affairs with responsibility,integrity, and strong ethics.
• Ownership: Thinking and acting as an owner to pursue the best interest of the institute.
• Innovation: Challenging convention and seeking new frontiers.
• Excellence: Upholding the highest standards, going beyond expectations, and being a pioneer in the field.

Faculty
Our world-renowned faculty, with over 70 members, is drawn from both academia and industry from around the world. All faculty hold Ph.D. degrees from top universities and over two thirds were tenured at world-class research universities before joining SAIF. Our faculty have in-depth research expertise and teaching experience, and have generated a substantive impact upon academic, applied, and policy research.

Academic Research
SAIF takes great pride in its ability to rival top-tier business schools worldwide and fosters an intellectually stimulating research environment. Since 2009, SAIF's distinguished faculty has produced a significant volume of exceptional academic research articles, which have been published in reputable academic journals.

Policy Research
The China Academy of Financial Research (CAFR) is an open research platform affiliated with and supported by SAIF. Since its inception in 2009, CAFR has focused on producing a variety of major policy studies that have had a significant impact on the regulatory changes and reformation of the Chinese financial sector. SAIF and CAFR together have created SAIF ThinkTank, a high-level think tank with international influence, which contributes significantly to the enhancement of the national financial system. Its policy research concentrates around three main areas - " Furthering the Development of Shanghai as an International Financial Center," "International Finance," and "Fintech."

Applied Research
SAIF actively collaborates with partners to contribute to the sound development of the community through its applied research endeavors. The applied research undertaken by CAFR’s research centers and labs illustrates the institute’s commitment to utilizing its strengths and expertise to address real-world issues and enhance the cooperation between industry and academia.

As of December 2023, over 2500 students are enrolled in SAIF’s degree programs.

SAIF has developed international collaboration with world-class business schools, including the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the MIT Sloan School of Management, University of California, Berkeley, Imperial College London, and Arizona State University. SAIF offers a variety of educational study tours and international exchange opportunities to provide students with cutting-edge knowledge in finance and management, expand their global perspectives, and facilitate multicultural collaborations.

SAIF earned the international accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) on February 28, 2016. SAIF is among the youngest AACSB-accredited business schools in the world. AACSB accreditation represents the highest standards in business education and has only been earned by less than 5 percent of the world's business schools. In 2021, AACSB extended SAIF’s accreditation for an additional five years.

In 2020, SAIF’s MF program was ranked No. 1 in Asia for the third consecutive time by Financial Times, distinguishing itself in "Faculty with Doctorates" (No.1 in the world), “Salary Today” (No.4 globally), "Salary Percentage Increase" (No.5 worldwide and No.1 in Asia) and "International course experience” (No.25 globally and No.1 in Asia).