Department of Civil & Environmental

Engineering


EF929/CL 504: Financial Engineering



Assignment 1 (40%)

Write an essay in no more than 1,500 words (not including references), on
one of the following areas of discussion. The text of your essay should be
word-processed in double space, coherently structured and properly
referenced using the Harvard style.


Q.1

The financial crisis, which has had its effect felt globally since 2007, is a
case of financial engineering and corporate governance gone wrong.
Discuss.
or

Q.2

In what ways has the legitimate act of loophole exploitation enabled
multinational businesses, like Starbucks, Amazon and Google, to engage
in the practice of tax avoidance? Explain how the adverse consequences
of such cases of loophole exploitation could have been avoided in the first
place.


NB: To be submitted in hard copy and also electronically through Turnitin by Friday, 21
February 2014. Please note that the hard copy of your coursework submission should have
attached to it copy of the Turnitin similarity report page. Your hard copy submission should
also have as a front cover the Departments Coursework Feedback Form. The Form can be
collected from the Coursework Desk in the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, James Weir Building, Level 5.