Vice Chancellor's Award for Bye Fellow

  • 18 July 2017
  • 1 minute

Professor Elroy Dimson, a Caius Bye Fellow and member of the College's Investment Committee, has won a prestigious Vice Chancellor's Impact Award for his research supporting investors in engaging more with the businesses they own on environmental and social issues.

Prof Dimson, who chairs the Newton Centre for Endowment Asset Management at Cambridge Judge Business School, has developed the idea of "Active Ownership", in which shareholders and their portfolio managers prompt and encourage companies they own to develop and fulfill better environmental, social and governance strategies. This engagement not only addresses issues that matter to businesses, investors and the economy as a whole, but tends to help improve the companies' performance and profitability, his research has found.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Awards were established by the University of Cambridge to recognise and reward those whose research has led to excellent impact beyond academia, whether on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life. Each winner receives a prize of £1,000 and a trophy, with the overall winner receiving £2,000. This year's overall winner, Dr Alexander Patto from the Department of Physics, developed an open-source, 3D-printable microscope for use in water-testing kits in developing communities.​

"Professor Dimson’s research has had a substantial impact on investment policy and practice," the award's citation said.

An expert in both investment theory and practice, Prof Dimson is Emeritus Professor of Finance at London Business School.

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