Regent’s new Islamic finance and banking course Academic’s special advisory role

REGENT Business School (RBS) recently launched southern Africa’s first postgraduate diploma in Islamic finance and banking amid growing global demand for Islamic banking professionals.

The qualification is one of three new one-year courses introduced by the institution to create a powerful pool of special-skilled professionals on the continent.

The postgraduate diploma in project management, the higher certificate in supply-chain management and the post-graduate diploma in Islamic finance and banking are one-year courses that offer on-site or distance-learning options to individuals who are determined to fast-track career success, said Dr Ahmed Shaikh, the managing director of RBS.

“As a member of Honoris United Universities, RBS has an established footprint across the continent for providing affordable, accredited, quality business and management education,” he said.

“The three new additions to our programme stable solidify RBS’s drive to produce career professionals who are geared towards making impactful change among various sectors in Africa.

“We are particularly excited to be the first education institution in South Africa to offer a postgraduate qualification in Islamic finance and banking to meet the demands of the fastest-growing sector in the world.”

Research

Shaikh said the business school introduced its new programme offerings on the back of intensive market research into the skills gap in South Africa and Africa as a whole.

“Each programme is aimed at ensuring that the employability and skills agenda is addressed at an institutional level.

“The new courses are yet another way in which we continue to be a leading provider of business and management education by creating a hub of specialist knowledge and skills that are both relevant and impactful.”

He said students who successfully completed the postgraduate diploma in Islamic finance and banking (PG Dip IFB) would be fully equipped to make a significant contribution to the rapidly growing Islamic finance sector worldwide which, according to industry research, urgently requires 50 000 skilled professionals.

A PG Dip IFB graduate would be able to navigate the complexities of Islamic finance and banking, earning an attractive position on the global employability barometer.

Similarly, employees in operational and middle management positions who have practical knowledge of aspects of supply-chain management could further their career goals with the higher certificate in supply-chain management.

The new postgraduate diploma in project management has been designed for professionals who have discipline-specific knowledge and experience and creates “infinite international opportunities” for graduates.

For more information visit www.regent.ac.za