Islamic Finance Institute Goes Global to Fill a Skills Void in $2 Trillion Industry

The Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals in Kuala Lumpur is going global as it seeks to fill a void of experts with specialties such as insurance and law. The institute aims to increase membership of qualified practitioners to 3,000 in three years, from 400 now, its president Badlisyah Abdul Ghani said. The CIIF, which changed its name and geographical focus in 2015, is in talks with associations and regulators stretching from the Middle East to Indonesia as part of that campaign, he said. CIIF plans to start offering specialized courses next year to address the shortage of professinals, which is hindering development. The Kuala Lumpur-based Finance Accreditation Agency estimates 56,000 more qualified experts will be needed to fill positions in the next five years as growth accelerates.