Eighteen banking and finance officials from Russia are attending ISU’s School of Agricultural Banking, Credit and Finance from Oct. 9-27.

The officials will spend two weeks in the classroom learning about topics such as commercial law, fundamentals of a market economy, commercial banking, bank supervision and rural and economic community development.

After their classroom work is complete, the participants will spend two days at an Iowa bank or with a regulatory agency. They will live with an Iowan who has ties to banking, community functions and a knowledge of how credit relates to the community.

The last three days of their trip will be spent in New York City with the American Banking Institute of Greater New York.

“The participants are going there to gain insight into how the world of international finance works from the vantage point of large, big city banks,” said Neil Harl, professor of economics and director of the Center for International Agricultural Finance.

This is the 32nd school held since 1990 and the fifth school ISU has held this year.

Harl said he believes the schools are extremely important to the participants and he said the university has received positive responses from graduates.

“They come back saying that they are now considered experts on Western-style banking in their country,” Harl said. “I find this surprising, but it isn’t so much when you consider the environment from which they come. I believe our school gives them a lot of very important insights into modern-day banking.”