LSBF to host Islamic Finance Symposium in London

Ever keen to be at the forefront of global trends in the sector, the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) will be hosting on Wednesday, 19 November, from 9AM to 5PM, a symposium on Islamic Finance at its new flagship building – Sceptre Court – in Tower Hill, London.

 

With rapid growth rates and little sign of deceleration, the Islamic finance and banking industry has, over the last few years, expanded worldwide and established itself as part of the mainstream financial sector.

Focusing on how Islamic finance organisations can provide funding for infrastructure in developing countries within the Commonwealth, the conference will welcome key industry leaders as guest speakers, giving students and professionals an opportunity to understand the main trends that currently affect the sector.

 

The symposium is a joint initiative led by LSBF and The Ramphal Centre, a not-for-profit organisation working on issues of special concern to the Commonwealth and its 53 members in the areas of social and economic policy, governance and the environment.

 

Here are further details, including the agenda, of the symposium:

 

Innovative funding for infrastructure projects: how can Islamic finance assist Commonwealth developing countries?

 

Venue: London School of Business and Finance, Sceptre Court, 40 Tower Hill, London EC3N 4DX

Date: 19 November, 2014 (Wednesday)

Time: 9 AM to 5 PM

 

AGENDA

09.00 am to 09.25 am

Registration and tea and coffee

 

09.25 am to 09.30 am

Welcome: Jackie Mathers, Dean of Business School, LSBF

 

09.30 am to 10.00 am

Keynote speech 1: Lord Marland, Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council

Keynote speech 2: Sir Iqbal Sacranie OBE, Founding Secretary General at The Muslim Council of Britain, Member of the International Advisory Panel at World Islamic Economic Forum, Chairman Board of Trustees at Al Risaalah Education Trust, and Senior Deputy President at World Memon Organisation

 

10.00 am to 11.15 am

Session 1: Experience of supplying and utilising Sukuk

Chair: Dr Aly Khorshid, Islamic Finance Scholar,Fellow (Visiting) ICMA Centre Reading Uni, Professor (Visiting) UTM Uni Malaysia

Panellists: Dr Ashraf Mishrif, Senior Lecturer, King’s College, London

Massoud Jenekeh, Bank of London and the Middle East

Sir Iqbal Sacraie, OBE

 

11.15 am to 11.45 am

Tea and coffee

 

11.45 am to 01.00 pm

Session 2: Commonwealth government options for infrastructure funding

Chair: John Hilary, Director, War on Want, and Trustee, Ramphal Institute

Panellists: H E Joslyn Whiteman, High Commissioner for Grenada

Samantha Attridge, Economic Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat

Nash Jaffer, Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor

 

01.00 pm to 02.00 pm

Lunch

 

02.00 pm to 02.45 pm

Session 3: Uses of Islamic finance in Africa

Chair: Dr Andry Rakotovololona, Head of MSc Finance LSBF

Panellists: Iqbal Asaria, Adjunct Professor, INCEIF

Sahar Ata, Islamic Finance consultant and Associate Lecturer at LSBF

Waheed Qaiser, President at Maxim Corp Finance LLP

 

02.45 pm to 03.15 pm

Tea

 

03.15 pm to 04.15pm

Session 4: Sharia compliance for countries with small Muslim populations: is there a case for a Commonwealth Sharia Board?

Chair: Omar Shaikh, Executive Board, Islamic Finance Council

Panellists: Sheikh Bilal Khan, Co Chairman of Dome Advisory & UKTI Catalyst

Hilza Abd Al Rahim, Legal Counsel at Arabesque Asset Management Ltd

Samir Alamad (CSAA), Head of Sharia’a Compliance & Product Development at Islamic Bank of Britain

 

04.15 pm to 05.00 pm

Final discussion

Chair: Patsy Robertson, Chair of Trustees, Ramphal Institute

Key points arising: Sahar Ata, LSBF, and Richard Bourne, Ramphal Institute

 

05.00 pm

Patsy Robertson closes the symposium

 

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The event is open to students and the wider public. To confirm your attendance please emailcareers@lsbf.org.uk or administrator@ramphalcentre.org