For alumnus and economics enthusiast Dr Thomas Simpson, philanthropy at The University of Western Australia is deeply personal. Over many years as a student and research assistant, UWA became more than a place to learn – it became home. That lasting connection inspired him to give back, supporting the students who will follow in his footsteps.
Currently based in Adelaide where he conducts economics research, Dr Simpson, or Tom as he prefers to be called, finds himself still reminiscing about UWA.
“It’s long enough to feel nostalgic about a place that was once home,” Tom said. “It seemed like a good time to contribute.”
Fortunately, the timing of his gift couldn’t have been more serendipitous.
In early 2024, Dr Simpson was catching up with a few people from the UWA Business School when his social media feed filled with UWA-related stories.
Image: Dr Thomas (Tom) Simpson
One of these posts was from the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) Club, a student-led initiative providing hands-on experience in equity markets, seeking new capital.
“It looked like they’d been searching fruitlessly for a while, so I got in contact with them to see if I could help out,” Tom said. “I remember the Business School as a place where diverse interests and viewpoints were embraced as part of the academic culture, and where hard work co-existed with a friendly atmosphere. As a former economics student, I was particularly drawn to the fact that the club had a dedicated economics team, with many economics students as members.”
Thanks to Dr Simpson, the SMIF Frontier Fund was launched in October 2025.
The milestone marked a significant step forward in their mission to provide high-quality, practical exposure to investing for enterprising students, with the live Frontier Fund allowing Equities and Economics teams to present their pitches to an investment committee and invest real funds.
Images: The launch of the Student Managed Investment Fund Club's Frontier Fund
“The SMIF Club gives students real-world exposure to investing – not just theory, but decision-making, responsibility and, importantly, learning from mistakes,” Tom said. “With minimal oversight, students are empowered to test ideas they encounter in the classroom, including concepts like market efficiency, in a hands-on setting.”
Looking ahead, Dr Simpson envisions potential for the SMIF Club maturing into a more sophisticated operation focused on diversified portfolios, rather than individual stock picking, with a mandate on the Frontier Fund that a proportion of capital be invested in Exchange Traded Funds.
Dr Simpson is also excited by the fund’s long-term vision, when after 10 years, its capital will be liquidated and distributed to charitable causes across UWA.
“It will be nice to see how the money is used to benefit UWA, where I spent so many happy years as a student,” he said.
As Dr Simpson’s journey shows, sometimes the most meaningful philanthropy starts with a small gesture, such as recognising the value of your own student experience and enabling similar opportunities for others – to invest in the next generation.