(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance, a research centre at the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS), a college of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), held a CEO Roundtable on the subject of "Islamic Finance: Expectations and Reality."
The objective was to encourage a constructive dialogue between academia and the leaders from the financial industry, to build an understanding of different viewpoints on crucial matters, and create a forum for discussing working collaboratively towards building a robust and stable financial industry in Qatar and
beyond.
The roundtable was also an opportunity to consider strategic issues confronting the Islamic finance industry today. It covered topics such as the primary objectives of Islamic banks in a market-oriented economy, the difference between perceptions of Islamic finance and the reality of the industry, and how Islamic banks can support the needs and expectations of recent graduates looking for employment opportunities.
Welcoming remarks were offered on behalf of Dr Aisha al-Mannai, dean of QFIS, by Dr Mohamed Khalifa, professor of Comparative Religions, followed by remarks from Dr S Nazim Ali, director of the Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance at QFIS, and Dr Tariqullah Khan, professor of Islamic Finance at QFIS.
Those in attendance included Yousuf al-Jaida, CEO of Qatar Financial Centre Authority; Hashem al-Aqeel, CEO of Investment House; Dr Osama al-Deraie, CEO of Bait Al-Mashura; and senior management representing the CEOs of Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar Finance and Business Academy, Ezdan Group, Doha Bank, QInvest, and Silatech.
Academics from QFIS, HBKU Law School, HBKU's College of Science and Engineering, Georgetown University and Qatar University participated in the roundtable. Over a dozen students from HBKU also participated in the event, and were given the chance to network with the industry leaders and share
their concerns and views.
Dr Habib Ahmed, professor of Islamic Finance at the University of Durham and visiting professor at QFIS, moderated the full-day event, which included a number of opportunities for networking between the practitioners and HBKU students.
In his welcoming remarks, Dr Khalifa described that the roundtable event is an opportunity for understanding and enhancing the field of Islamic economics and finance by fostering an open discussion among industry leaders and academia, while enabling students to get more involved in Qatar's Islamic economics and finance industry.
Dr Nazim Ali, the leader of the initiative, observed that an important goal of the roundtable is to get feedback from the industry leaders on the kind of support that academics can provide to the industry.
In closing, the participants of the roundtable acknowledged the need for the industry and academics to share their viewpoints with one another on a more regular basis. The Centre for Islamic Economics and Finance will soon be publishing a report outlining the deliberations of the roundtable and detailing the recommendations that emanated from it.
HBKU is currently accepting applications to its Master of Science in Islamic Finance's fall 2016 intake, in addition to a variety of other programmes. Those interested in postgraduate study are encouraged to visit HBKU's website to learn more about the university's offerings.
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