An Immersive Introduction to the World of Business From the Wharton Global Youth Program
During these three-day sprints, high school students learn in person alongside faculty from the world-renowned Wharton School, interact with peers, and meet industry professionals to explore how organizations operate, how markets evolve, and how innovation drives growth. Each Learning Sprint blends academic insight with hands-on application, reflecting Wharton’s approach to business education, where students learn to think critically about how business shapes the world.
During the Wharton Global Youth Learning Sprint: Insights into Modern Finance and Private Equity, high school students will explore some of the big ideas that have shaped modern finance. We’ll unpack how information and incentives drive markets through Nobel Prize-winning theories applied in practice.
Then we’ll connect these ideas to real-world investing. You’ll learn the core principles of diversification and why index funds have become so popular, explore the excitement and challenges of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings), and build a framework for understanding different asset classes. We’ll take a closer look at the fast-growing world of private markets and private equity, where you’ll apply what you’ve learned through short, case-style exercises that simulate real investment decisions.
By the end, you’ll have both a stronger grasp of how financial systems work and a taste of the analytical, hands-on learning that defines the Wharton experience.
By the end of the Learning Sprint, students will:
- Understand key Nobel Prize–winning insights that explain how information and incentives shape markets.
- Apply core investment concepts such as diversification, risk, and return to real-world financial decisions.
- Analyze different asset classes, with a focus on private markets and private equity, through interactive, case-style exercises.
- Strengthen their leadership, collaboration, and analytical thinking skills.
Online Learning Accessible Before and After the Experience
Wharton Global Youth Program will build a Wharton Online Canvas site to support the Learning Sprint, just as it does for all its programs. Students will access the Canvas site in the weeks leading up to the event, where they will find information about the experience, bios of instructors/speakers, and links to Wharton and business-education resources.
Friday, January 9, 2026
- Registration and Opening Reception
- 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Welcome and Opening Remarks
- 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
- Breakfast
- 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
- Lecture
- 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Lunch
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Activity
- 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Lecture
- 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026
- Breakfast
- 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
- Lecture
- 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Lunch
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Activity
- 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Presentation and Closing
- 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Date & Location
January 9–11, 2026 | Arcadia British School, Dubai, UAE
This is an in-person, commuter workshop. Students are responsible for their own daily transportation and housing.
Workshop Cost
The cost to attend is $1,199, which includes all instructional sessions, workshop materials, meals during the workshop, and access to the Wharton Online Canvas learning platform.
Who Should Attend
This program is for current high school students who are curious about finance, investing, and how businesses and investors create value. It’s a great fit for students eager to explore business concepts in a global context and experience Wharton’s approach to financial thinking and decision making.
Online Learning Access
Students will access a Wharton Online Canvas site before and after the workshop to find event details, instructor bios, and business education resources.
Opening Reception
An opening reception will welcome students, faculty, and guest speakers, setting the stage for collaboration and connection.
Digital Credential
Participants who complete the workshop will earn a Wharton Global Youth Digital Badge to showcase their achievement and engagement in business learning.
Dr. David K. Musto is the Ronald O. Perelman Professor in Finance and faculty director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance at the Wharton School, where he has been on the faculty since 1995. Dr. Musto also served as senior financial economist at the Securities Exchange Commission from 2005 to 2007. He holds a BA from Yale University and a PhD from the University of Chicago. Between college and graduate school, he worked for Roll and Ross Asset Management in Culver City, CA. Most of his work, both theoretical and empirical, is in the area of consumer financial services, mutual funds and consumer credit. He has also published work on corporate and political voting, option pricing, short selling, and cross-border taxation.
Dr. Burcu Esmer is the academic co-director at Wharton Harris Family Alternative Investments Program and senior lecturer of finance at the Wharton School. She teaches private equity and corporate finance in Wharton Executive Education and degree programs and is the academic director of Wharton – Wall Street Prep Private Equity Certificate Program. Dr. Esmer earned her BSc in economics with a minor in mathematics, graduating with highest honor (summa cum laude) from Middle East Technical University (Türkiye). She completed her MA in economics and PhD in finance at the Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa. Dr. Esmer’s primary areas of research are empirical corporate finance, banking and private equity. She investigates agency conflicts and their impact on corporate policies.
More details coming soon.