American University is offering a graduate certificate in Islamic Finance to prepare professionals for both emerging and established markets. The curriculum includes courses that focus on the role of Islamic finance in the global economy and Islamic capital markets. For Ghiyath Nakshbendi, an executive at American University, the graduate certificate is a dream come true. He regularly brings in experts to speak to classes. Speakers who visit and Skype in include CEOs, lawyers and high-profile Islamic finance professionals from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. Nakshbendi does not want finance professionals to be deterred by the "Islamic" in Islamic finance. Students enrolled in the certificate program come from a variety of backgrounds and religious traditions. He believes that the program will help redefine the way professionals do business.
Abraaj Capital launched its first integrated sustainability report. The report presents depth and context to the group’s performance in 2010 and determines how sustainability is central to the group’s culture and business.
The report was developed using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines and evaluates the progress Abraaj Capital has shown on its economic, social and environmental commitments in 2010. The John D Gerhart Center of Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo worked with Abraaj Capital in preparing the report.