ICU GROUP NOW PARTNER OF THE CENTER FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF ECONOMIC JOURNALISM

Kiev, September 11, 2017. Financial group ICU has become a strategic partner of the Center for the Improvement of Economic Journalism, created by the Kiev School of Economics and VoxUkraine.

The center, which opens on 13 September in Kiev, aims to raise the level of economic literacy among Ukrainian journalists and editors of economic publications.

Konstantin Stetsenko, Managing Director of ICU, said:

“One of the key problems of Ukraine is the economic illiteracy of the population, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deceived investors. For journalists who write about large corporations and the economy, it is often difficult to ensure a balance between accuracy and simplicity. When writing about the economy, journalists have to explain complicated financial structures, economic theories, and market processes to an audience that frequently does not understand internal mechanisms and intricate economic principles. Yet, they are subject to the consequences of the economy’s successes and failures.”

Stetsenko believes that the Center should help business and journalists speak the same language to ensure that information about what is really happening in the economy will reach society without distortions.

Students of the Center will receive training in four main areas: 1) through the course "Economics, markets, and data analysis", developed by teachers of the Kiev School of Economics; 2) a distance/remote course on economics for journalists, "How to write about economics without errors", 3) a discussion forum of leading editors and publishers to address topical issues of the economy and the media, and 4) an opportunity to study the media’s influence using scientific methods.

ABOUT ICU

ICU is an independent asset management, private equity and investment advisory firm specialising in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

Founded in 2006 by senior investment professionals from ING, ICU is Ukraine's leading asset manager. ICU currently manages over $400m in assets. Since 2010 ICU’s flagship CIS Opportunities Fund has delivered returns exceeding 16 percent per year, net of fees, versus less than 1% annual returns for the HFRI Emerging Markets Russia/Eastern Europe Index over the same period.

ICU’s veteran investment team has experience in private equity, high yield corporate debt, distressed debt, restructurings and other special situations across a number of emerging markets. Investment decisions are supported by robust macroeconomic and sectoral analyses from the in-house team of research economists.

ICU aims to provide its clients with superior risk-adjusted returns across a number of asset classes. The firm is expanding its reach into key European markets via a combination of organic growth and acquisition and continues to expand the range its investment offerings.