ICMA Centre

The ICMA Centre is a centre of higher education based in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education tailored to the capital markets industry.

Established in 1991 with funding provided by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) in Zurich through a partnership with the University of Reading, the Centre is housed in a purpose-built modernist building, and was formally opened in March 1998 by Sir Brian Unwin, then President of the European Central Bank.

The Centre's facilities include three dealing rooms where students learn how markets really function and apply theory through simulations. The Centre also provides two lecture theatres, several seminar rooms, information seating area and café bar. The upper floor of the Centre houses the administrative and academic staff and doctoral researchers.

In 2008, ICMA invested a further £5 million, which funded an expansion to the building. The extension includes the flagship 40 seat dealing room - the largest in Europe – which is sponsored in part by Thomson Reuters, as well as a 170 seat lecture theatre, new seminar rooms and a dedicated research area. The building is fitted with audio and visual technology allowing the podcasting and webstreaming of lecture content. The new building opened for students at the start of the 2009-2010 academic session.

ICMA's investment in the Centre now totals over £10 million, making it the largest single corporate investment in any European business school.