OAFP 6090 - Finance for the SDGs: Impact Investing & Financial Innovation

The aim of the course (please note this is a hybrid course) is to introduce students to the impact investing landscape and to the different investment approaches that seek to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students will be introduced to opportunities, challenges and limitations facing the various stakeholders of this ecosystem (investors, government, academia, and the third sector), and will get an overview of the impact investment process - from deal structuring to impact measurement and social outcomes. Through a combination of readings, case studies, class discussion and seminars, students will gain deep insight into the field, including on social/environmental outcome contracting schemes (e.g., social impact bonds, payment by results instruments and outcome funds), concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG and green finance (green and blue bonds and the carbon market). At the end of the course, students shall be able to assess how impact investing and financial innovation can be used as a tool for government and civil society (for example as provider, funder, facilitator, and regulator) to advance the SDGs.

Estela TEIXEIRA SOUTO,Andre QUADRA,Giulio PASI

Enseignement électif

English

- Course sessions: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester - Reading and Preparation for Class: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester - Mid-term exam: 1h30 - Individual seminar (15-min presentation plus 15-min Q&A) - Research and Preparation for Group Work: 1 hour a week / 12 hours a semester - Group Work presentation: 30min

There is no specific prerequisite for the course.

Autumn 2025-2026

The class grade will be based on the following criteria: 35% - Midterm exam: combination of a multiple-choice quiz and an essay question based on mandatory readings and topics discussed in class. 25% - Individual seminar on an innovative financial solution that tackles the SDG agenda at the student's choice (15min) 40% - Final Group Work - This assignment will be a group submission. Groups should include 3 to 5 students max. Students will choose one of the three cases (3 case studies to be detailed in Session 8). For this assignment, students (working in a group), will have to prepare a presentation for any one case of their choice, from the cases discussed in class. Put yourself in the situation where you are presenting your case and recommendations to a local government, investor, bank or other types of outcome funders.

Class sessions will be discussion based and will require preparatory readings, self-reflection, critical thinking, case studies analysis and guest lecturers who have actively participated in investing with a social outcome, as presented in class in the format of case studies. The course includes a midterm exam and a final group presentation. Please note this is a hybrid course.