Financial education and the Planspiel Börse
German Sparkassenstiftung’s goal has always been to make the most important financial services accessible to people worldwide. In doing so, it often draws on the knowledge of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, as in the project in Vietnam which is focused on financial education for the local population. To this end, DSIK has developed its own business games. One of them, the Savings Game, teaches private households, young people, and small family businesses how to manage a budget efficiently and build up savings deposits.
However, when it comes to securities trading and the current economic climate, the Planspiel Börse of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is unbeatable. This is why the regional team of DSIK decided to use the simulator in its cooperation with the Vietnam National University VNU. Almost 100 Vietnamese students had the opportunity to participate and improve their economic knowledge through the stock market simulation.
Planspiel Börse simulates securities trading
What is a share? How is a share price created? What are the opportunities and risks of investing money and assets? These and other questions about the stock market and general economic events are answered by the digital business game "Planspiel Börse". It is designed for young people as well as anyone who wants to learn more about securities in a playful and risk-free way.
Different teams compete against each other and invest fictitious start-up capital on the stock exchange. The aim is to achieve the greatest increase in value to the virtual portfolio within the eleven-week game phase by buying and selling conventional and sustainable shares. The simulation also sensitizes participants to include sustainability aspects in their investment decisions and promotes a responsible approach to money.
First time in Vietnam and Asia
The Planspiel Börse has been organized by the Sparkassen in Germany and Luxembourg since the 1980s as part of their public education mandate. Since 2012, several project countries of German Sparkassenstiftung in Latin America and Africa have participated. In 2020, Vietnam became the first Asian country to take part and can now look back on a successful competition. In addition to providing the online platform, accompanying seminars were also held at the university.
At the award ceremony a Vietnamese participant reported enthusiastically: "I am now much more interested in current stock market events and regularly follow the financial news. Later, I can imagine a career in exchange trading. My financial English has also improved a lot."
Looking ahead, German Sparkassenstiftung Vietnam wants to promote nationwide participation in Planspiel Börse in the coming years and enable students from other universities and academies to take part.
By Alexander Bunse and Jennifer Berbuir