The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) officially inaugurated its Master’s Programme in Financial Technology (FinTech), as the first and only of its kind in the Region, in collaboration with the Strathclyde Business School, to identify and support the next generation of financial technology pioneers in the Kingdom.
The launch ceremony was attended by a number of guests from various sectors, including industry experts, and senior management from leading financial institutions.
The BIBF received the official delegation from University of Strathclyde, headed by Associate Principal, Executive Dean, and Professor of Finance at Strathclyde Business School. Prior to the ceremony, the delegation visited the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, H.E. Mr. Rasheed M. Al Maraj, and the CEO of FinTech Bay, Mr. Khalid Saad. The Strathclyde delegation also met with the UK Ambassador, H.E. Roddy Drummond.
The event commenced with two Keynote speeches by the Director at BIBF; Dr. Ahmed Al Shaikh and Associate Principal, Executive Dean and Professor of Finance at the University of Strathclyde; David Hillier.
During his opening speech, BIBF Director, Dr. Ahmed Al Shaikh stated, ‘Bahrain’s dynamic ‘FinTech’ sector is growing rapidly, due to the critical role it plays in changing the financial services landscape and powering the Kingdom’s digital economy. Therefore, the potential for students is almost endless, but so is the demand for these skills.’
He also added, ‘As the main training arm for the financial sector in Bahrain, it gives us great pleasure to be the first institution in the region to launch this specialised Master’s degree in ‘FinTech’, in cooperation with Strathclyde Business School; which is amongst the 1% of higher education institutions with Tripe Accreditation in the UK. We believe that this programme will further accelerates Bahrain’s position as a leading ‘FinTech’ hub in the Region.’
Following the opening Speech, Associate Principal, Executive Dean, and Professor of Finance at Strathclyde Business School, Professor David Hillier said, ‘Recognising how ‘FinTech’ revolutionises the financial sector, Strathclyde Business School introduced UK’s first Master’s Degree in FinTech to future-proof its graduates. The programme trains students for managerial and strategist positions, not coding jobs, by bringing new perspectives to fully understand ‘FinTech’ as a global industry.’
H.E. UK Ambassador, Mr. Roddy Drummond, who was present at the event commented, ‘Very pleased at the announcement of this new partnership between BIBF and Strathclyde University. It will deliver cutting-edge learning in FinTech, with an outstanding British University, and BIBF – a trusted partner of the UK for many years. This will help Bahrain become the regional hub for FinTech.’