The foundation stone for a successful and fulfilling professional life is laid in early years. Therefore it is important for Deutsche Börse Group to assume responsibility for training young persons at an early stage and to make targeted investments in school and academic research and teaching. For this reason we support innovative education and research concepts from primary school via scholarship programs for students through to research projects at universities based on the assumption of life-long learning. The central component in this respect is that our employees allow others to profit from their wealth of knowledge and experience. Thus our efforts in this area are based equally on personal involvement and financial contributions. Primary school: getting involved from the start We are the main sponsor of the Erasmus-von-Rotterdam primary school in Frankfurt, a school founded by Lehrerkooperative e. V. in Frankfurt in 2006 and which is as international and diverse as our Group. The children there are taught by English and Spanish native speakers. Their development is aided in a trilingual kindergarten and all-day care center. Together with parents, we regularly organize the “Tag an der Börse” (Day at the Stock Exchange), which allows the pupils to visit our company and experience the stock market. ENGAGE: fit for the job In ENGAGE job application training, our employees help young people to prepare for professional life. Our staff help then to put together an application folder and give valuable practical tips to increase their chances of obtaining a training position. The young people are also prepared for the interview process. Our employees rehearse initial telephone contact and follow this up with mock interviews. This realistic contact with the world of work has a pronounced positive effect on the students. They experience recognition and become more self-confident. House of Finance and X-Econ: a stronger academic center As a key component of support on a local basis, our company supports the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt. In particular, we provide financial and professional assistance to the House of Finance. The objective is to expand leading research in the field of financial and capital markets in Frankfurt. For example, highly-renowned international academics presented and discussed their most recent research papers at the Neue Börse in June 2008 as part of our “Economics of Exchange” (X-Econ) research program of the Center for Financial Studies (CEF). In addition to the Institute for Law and Finance and the Goethe Business School, an intensive exchange of ideas between the academic and the business world is maintained with the E-Finance Lab (EFL) research institute. Some of our employees give lectures at universities or other institutions and thus give students valuable insights into the practical aspects of the financial industry. Political education: creating the future Young people actively participating in politics is an important issue for us. They need to develop an appreciation of political debate and be exposed to issues that have a major impact on their future. This is why we provided professional and financial support for the 2008 German selection meeting of the European Youth Parliament. Young people from all over Germany came together in Frankfurt to ardently discuss the self-regulation of financial markets. Furthermore, our employees provided practical support to the young parliamentarians as they prepared for the assembly. Further information is available on the key area of Education and Research in our Corporate Responsibility Report [.pdf]. | 
