(NewsUSA) - It’s that time of year again: CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives exchange, is calling on college students with an interest in finance to team up and try their hand at futures trading. Registration for its 19th annual University Trading Challenge is now open through Thursday, September 29, and there is no cost to enter.     

As part of the innovative competition, teams of three to five graduate and undergraduate students from the same university are invited to learn expert techniques using a real-time, simulated trading platform provided by CQG, a leading provider of financial markets technology solutions.     

Participants will trade CME Group futures and options contracts across the exchange’s main asset classes -- including interest rates, equity indices, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products, metals and crypto.     

CME Group will also provide students with educational content and market commentary, in addition to live market data and premium news articles from Dow Jones and The Hightower Report.       

This year’s challenge officially kicks off on Sunday, October 2 and concludes on Friday, October 28.     

“The many uncertainties in today's global economies are driving increased interest in and demand for hedging and risk management strategies,” says Anita Liskey, Global Head of Brand Marketing and Communications at CME Group. “We encourage all university students who want to learn about derivatives markets and test their trading skills to participate in this unique, hands-on educational experience.”     

Each eligible member of the winning team will receive a $2,000 cash prize*. Additional prizes will be awarded for second through fifth place.     

Student participants will also have the opportunity to attend CME Group’s Day of Market Education. This one-day forum will provide them with an exclusive look into CME Group and the derivatives industry.     

CME Group is committed to educating the next generation of finance professionals on the significance of its global derivatives markets and risk management. In addition to interactive events such as the University Trading Challenge, CME Group also partners with other industry organizations to offer educational tools, such as Futures Fundamentals, a one-stop educational resource that explains the role of futures markets in everyday life. Through interactive features and rich content, the site provides risk management education for learners of all levels and helps simplify complex market topics.     

To register and view details on eligibility, rules, regulations and requirements, please visit: https://www.cmegroup.com/events/university-trading-challenge/2022-trading-challenge.html.     

For social media updates throughout the competition, make sure to follow #TradingChallenge2022. *Eligibility to receive competition prizes is only open to residents in the United States (US), Canada (CA) excluding Quebec, United Kingdom (UK), Germany (DE), Netherlands (NL), Switzerland (CH), Republic of Korea (KR), Taiwan (TW), and Japan (JP).