Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein on Monday launched a nine-week online fantasy stock trading game aimed at university students considering a career in investment banking.

Developed with Finance Media Europe, DrKW Webtrader (www.careersatdrkw.com) offers players around the world the chance to win up to 10,000 euros in prize money.

To attract more participation by Japanese students, DrKW is also offering a special prize to the best Japanese entrant in the game.

Each player starts with a fantasy fund of 20,000 euros from which they must manage a virtual portfolio of shares of listed European companies in the Webtrader stock market.

Players can trade as often as they wish, but must trade in at least five stocks over the course of the game and hold more than 80 percent of their portfolio in Webtrader listed shares.

"The Webtrader game allows players to experience the real challenge of managing a portfolio of shares in simulated conditions but without any of the normal risks or costs associated with investment dealing of this nature," said Terence Perrin, DrKW's vice president of human resources in London. "We felt this would be an innovative way to encourage students perhaps with little or no knowledge of financial markets to develop a taste for what is involved in a career as a trader."

Real market data feeds from the London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges are accessible through the Webtrader site to assist players in their investment decisions.

Jean-Francois Minier, DrWK's branch manager in Japan, said, "The game is available in English and presents an excellent opportunity for Japanese students interested in the international world of banking to learn both about investing and European companies."

The prize for the player with the largest fund at the end of the game is 10,000 euros(1.2 million yen). Runnerup cash prizes will also be awarded.

To be eligible for prizes, either as an individual or a representative of a university society, all players must have registered and traded in the Webtrader game by Feb. 15, and must be studying at a university for the duration of the game, which runs until March 15.

DrKW is the investment bank of Dresdner Bank AG, a member of the Allianz Group.