ICA works with Universities in Bahrain to raise the profile of compliance

We have been working closely with universities in Bahrain as part of an outreach programme to promote compliance as a career. It is our goal to raise the profile of compliance, drive industry standards and broaden the knowledge of future compliance professionals by providing undergraduates with an awareness of career pathways as well as good compliance practice through training.

Dean Rowan, a Member of ICA’s Board of Advisors who is also Chief Risk & Compliance Officer for Gulf One Investment Bank, has been heading up the initiative which began with a ‘Meet the Professionals’ event at the University of Bahrain  (the largest university in the country) on 3 March.

He had this to say:

"Investing in your future through continuing education and international accreditation is core to achieving a successful and fulfilling professional career.

The ICA, with its extensive coverage of compliance, AML and financial crime prevention is the global leader and will position you in the forefront of the fastest growing and most respected professions in today's turbulent global financial markets.

This initiative is aimed at those seeking to begin a challenging and rewarding career who wish to stand above the crowd, make a real difference in ensuring the safety and soundness of both our institutions and markets and to be in the career of today.”

We will also be delivering compliance training to a group of 25 hand-picked undergraduates at Ahlia University (the largest private university in Bahrain) on 26 April. The training will provide a foundation towards understanding the regulatory environment and the essentials of compliance management.

Further presentations are due to take place at Bahrain Polytechnic and AMA Bahrain International University in the coming months.

This is the latest in a number of initiatives that we have undertaken to raise awareness of compliance and anti money laundering best practice. In the UK we have partnered with the Financial Skills Partnership (FSP) to offer compliance training to recent graduates and to help facilitate internships as part of the Graduate Foundation College scheme. In Poland, we recently joined force with Citi and Kozminski University to offer an undergraduate training scheme in anti money laundering.

Bill Howarth, ICA Chief Executive, had this to say:

“As the demand for skilled compliance and AML professionals reaches an all-time high, there is a real need to develop awareness and risk management skills earlier on in these particular career paths. The ICA has always been passionate about promoting standards of competence and professionalism and this partnership initiative with universities is a great way of ensuring that standards are already high before graduates seek employment within financial services. “