James Malm

AIMS South Africa | 2005

Dr James Malm, born in Accra, Ghana, learned the value of education through his grandmother who raised him and his five siblings.While his grandmother had no formal education, she believed so strongly in the power of knowledge and learning that on many occasions she sold her belongings to support her grandchildren throughout school. Today, James is proud to have followed her advice. He has completed his doctoral studies in finance and holds a faculty position at the College of Charleston in the United States. He obtained a BSc in Electrical Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. Through the DAAD-IAESTE Internship Program he proceeded to Germany where he worked as a Research Intern at the Robert Bosch Stiftung Company in Stuttgart.

“No matter what obstacles get in the way, always keep trying, keep reaching, keep dreaming, keep believing and never get discouraged… and, when things work out, do not forget to give back to society.” He says.

In 2004, he enrolled at AIMS South Africa and completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematical Sciences. While at AIMS South Africa,

“I studied and lived with other students from diverse African countries and developed sound interpersonal skills. The AIMS program developed my aptitude for critical thinking, problem-solving, writing and research. I also had the opportunity to strengthen and empower others by teaching high school maths and science teachers in Maseru (Lesotho) using interactive teaching techniques, lesson planning and cost-effective project implementation.”

Since graduating from AIMS, James has held several positions within Ghana, teaching, tutoring and mentoring of students in the areas of Business Finance, Financial Management, Operations Management, Business Statistics and Financial Modelling. He has been the recipient of numerous awards that recognise his teaching and research skills, including the Best Graduate Student Paper Award in the Business and Commerce category at the 2010 Graduate Student Association Research and Thesis conference. He has also presented his research work globally.

James continues to give back to Africa and coordinated a book drive at the University of Alabama that sent 1,500 books to elementary school children in Ghana. Passionate about the legal environment and corporate financial policies, he hopes to contribute to the development of financial markets in Africa and other regions of the world. James remains grateful to all the supporters and benefactors of AIMS.