Frank Van Gansbeke
Executive Scholar in Residence
- Office
- Monroe Hall 119
- Tel
- (802) 443-5932
- fvangansbek@middlebury.edu
Frank is executive scholar in residence at the Franklin Environmental Center where he teaches Sustainable Finance and Responsible Investments (forthcoming). He also runs the Midd Alum Global Sustainability guest speaker series on the interaction between sustainability and the world of finance, policy making and industry. He acquired more than 30 years of global Senior Executive experience within the Corporate Finance and Capital Markets fields at Fortis and BNPP.
At Middlebury College, Frank taught as Professor of the Practice “Capital Markets”, “Investment Management” and “Introduction to Finance”. He mentors at their entrepreneurial program and acts as faculty advisor to RISE, a student led investment organization. In 2019, Frank was awarded the “student advisor award.”
In 2020, Frank co-established the Sustainable Finance Unconference series, a quarterly platform where prominent Sustainable Finance peers present their recent contributions in the space. At COP26 in 2021, Frank co-founded “Beyond Bretton Woods”, a think tank platform reviewing the international financial architecture and fostering the foundations for a fair, nature-centric, and regenerative financial system.
Frank is a regular contributor to Forbes online.
Courses Taught
INTD 0217
Introduction to Finance
Course Description
Introduction to Finance
In this introductory survey course we will cover the role of finance in society, the basic workings of the financial system, how funds are allocated within the economy, and how institutions raise money. We will cover a range of topics, including: interest rates and the time value of money; uncertainty and the trade-off between risk and return; security market efficiency; stocks, bonds and optimal capital structure; financing decisions and capital budgeting; sovereign risk; foreign currencies; derivatives markets; and concerns about the role of finance in society. The course will include discussions of current news events in global markets. (INTD 0116 or INTD 0120 or by Instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hr. lab
Terms Taught
INTD 0222
Current
Sustainable Finance
Course Description
Sustainable Finance
In this course we will posit the rationale for Sustainable Finance, which aims to facilitate business propositions and accelerate capital allocation to initiatives that benefit society, the environment, employees, customers, and investors alike. The starting point will be the traditional building blocks of finance. From these foundations, we will assess the impact of Sustainable Finance decisions on different societal crisis points (climate change, health pandemic, social inequality and injustice, financial crisis, etc.) The course will question what the individual can do, in the face of the sustainability crisis, through innovative (finance-driven) initiative. The course offering will be deeply anchored around project based learning principles, exploring innovative finance and sustainable framework solutions away from the singular focus of short-term financial profit maximization. (ECON 0265, INTD 0120, INTD 0217, or by instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0319
Investment Management
Course Description
Investment Management
In this course we will build on knowledge of accounting and finance and apply that knowledge to investment analysis, asset allocation, portfolio management, and capital markets and risk analysis. Designed to provide the basic concepts and principles of investing, the course examines investment theory and practice for investing a portfolio and evaluating its performance. We will discuss both traditional and alternative investments. Topics include securities markets, risk and return, capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and diversification, portfolio theory, private equity, valuation of equity, valuation of fixed-income securities, options and futures markets. Recommended prior courses would be: Math 0116, INTD 0116 or INTD 0217. Students who have not taken INTD 0116 or INTD 0217 are invited to contact the professor to discuss and review their basic proficiency in Accounting and Finance. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs lab
Terms Taught
INTD 0320
Capital Markets
Course Description
Capital Markets
This course surveys and analyzes the instruments traded in modern asset markets, the mechanisms that facilitate their trading and issuance, as well as, the motivations of issuers and investors across different asset classes. The course will balance functional and institutional perspectives by highlighting the problems market participants are seeking to solve, as well as the existing asset markets that have arisen to accomplish these goals. We will consider the nature of structure of asset markets, and the design, issuance, and pricing of financial instruments, focusing on how arbitrage strategies keep their prices in-line with one another. (INTD 0116 or INTD 0217 or by instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Terms Taught
INTD 0500
Current
Upcoming
Independent Study
Course Description
Independent Study
Approval Required
Terms Taught
INTD 1022
Upcoming
Beyond Bretton Woods
Course Description
Beyond Bretton Woods: A Critical Global Financial Architecture Review
In this course we will discuss the ongoing international financial architecture review (IFAR) process, from the angle of the polycrisis (amongst others, climate change, global health pandemic, social and racial injustice, geo-political tensions and global financial instability) challenges. Students will be offered foundational knowledge about the existing global financial architecture constellation, which emerged from the 1944 Bretton Woods conference in New Hampshire. The course will canvas the core purposes, principles and design intentions to critically analyze and judiciously engage in the core IFAR themes and proposals. The 80-year developments and ensuing challenges will be contextualized with the evolving strands of the current polycrisis. The main course objective is to impart an innovative solutions mindset. The course material will provide a solid introduction to the upcoming May 2024 conference organized on a similar theme at Bread Loaf.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1242
Carbonomics & Renewable Energy
Course Description
Carbonomics and Renewable Energy at Middlebury College
What is the cycle of carbon from its generation to its exchange on the market? What are the environmental, social, and equity impacts associated with renewable energy projects and assets? How does Middlebury generate, manage, and monitor its growing and increasingly complex portfolio of renewables to reach carbon neutrality? We will explore these questions through lectures and group projects. By the end of this course students will be able to propose ways to optimize the management of Middlebury’s portfolio with an understanding of its relationship to financial, equity, and environmental considerations.
Terms Taught
Requirements