The Hochschule für Finanzwirtschaft und Management is the central educational service provider of the Savings Banks Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe). High-ranking academics and practitioners train the next generation of managers in accordance with the standards and value system of the Savings Banks Finance Group. Many of the more than 3,000 graduates are now specialists or managers at the Savings Banks Finance Group - including DekaBank.

It is important to us to assist in the development of these young people: Every year, Deka invites the current students to Frankfurt. Since 2015, we have also awarded prizes to the top graduates. They then spend four weeks as interns in the Deka Group – in an area of their choosing. They gain practical experience, receive exclusive insights into the company and make valuable contacts.

Since January 2020, we have been supporting the endowed chair "Bank Regulation" at the University of Financial Economics and Management. The chairholder, Prof. Dr. Anja Schulz, addresses questions regarding the implementation of bank regulation and develops new, optimized solutions concerning size and business models. Since July 2024, Dr. Maik Grabau has also taken over the endowed professorship for Sustainability and Financial Markets.

The endowed professorship aims to promote the transfer of knowledge between academia and financial practice and to further develop sustainable financial strategies. The university is characterized by a high degree of practical orientation and the focus of its research projects. Innovative topics are addressed, which are also relevant for DekaBank as a financial service provider.

The IQAM Research - Privates Institut für Quantitative Kapitalmarktforschung (Private Institute for Quantitative Capital Market Research), founded by Deka, aims to improve the exchange between practice and academic research. Here, academics and practitioners in the field of capital markets conduct joint research. 

Every two years, IQAM Research grants awards for excellent research work by students and graduates in the area of capital market research. In 2020, the first prize went to Ron Bekkerman, Eliezer M. Fich and Natalya Khimicha of Drexel University, Philadelphia. The researchers use machine text analysis for business analysis. In 2022, the Research Prize will be awarded for the fourth time.

Support for education is fundamental for the future. That is why Deka has been supporting the Goethe University in Frankfurt since 1968:

• The non-profit association of the Goethe Finance Association (GFA) promotes research and teaching.
• It also supports the Freunde und Förderer der Goethe-Universität (VFF; Friends and Sponsors of the Goethe University). The focus here is also on research and teaching, especially in the Frankfurt financial centre.

Deka has been supporting the Planspiel Börse (Stock Market Learning Competition) of the Sparkassen since 2014. The game teaches schoolchildren, students and trainees what securities are all about – in an exciting and practical way. It deepens basic economic knowledge, imparts stock market know-how and strengthens the participants’ social skills. The game's special “sustainability” rating promotes future-oriented and responsible action. 

“The Planspiel Börse gave me my first contact with the stock market. I was immediately fascinated by the topic, so I wanted to take this path professionally as well. An apprenticeship at DekaBank ultimately led me to fund management. Every day you get to see what’s happening in the economy first hand – exciting and fascinating every day!”

Marco Lammert, a trained investment fund salesman, studied part-time at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. After time at CASS London Business School and Credit Suisse in London, he joined the Global Equities team in 2014 as a portfolio manager with responsibility for the Financials sector.