Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance awards 174 Bangor University graduates with bachelor degrees

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) has celebrated the graduation of the 2020-2021 batch of its Annual Graduation Ceremony of Bangor University Undergraduate Programmes.

It was held under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain.

Present were the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain and Chairman of the BIBF’s Board of Directors, Rasheed Al Maraj, and the Higher Education Council Secretary-General and Board of Trustees Vice-Chair, Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa Al Khalifa, as 174 students received their degree.

Dr Shaikha Rana delivered a speech in which he commended the long years of a “truly fruitful academic partnership” between the BIBF in Bahrain and Bangor University in the UK.

“Whether you have studied Banking & Finance or Accounting & Finance, the stats on job placement with these joint programmes seem to be hopeful and reassuring,” she said.

According to the official BIBF website, 56% of graduates of these programmes are employed within six months of graduation, with a total of 80% securing a job within a whole year of graduation.

Interestingly, not all graduates go on to work in the field of finance itself.

According to the BIBF’s website, of the aforementioned 80% who secure a job placement within 12 months of graduation, 59% of them typically go on to work in the financial sector, 9% end up working for auditing firms, with another 9% interestingly enough pursuing careers in education and training “Our human resources, Bahrainis themselves, are the fuel that powers the engine of our financial economy – and if Bahrain is to continue to grow and become the financial hub of the region then we must continue investing in the development and refinement of this very precious resource through education and training,” Al Maraj said.

Vice-Chancellor and Head of Bangor University’s College of Arts Professor Andrew Edwards expressed his pride in the strong relationship between Bangor University and the BIBF that had strengthened over the past 20 years, equipping the banking and financial sector with well-skilled cadres that are ready to join the labour market.

Utmost professionalism BIBF’s Director Dr Ahmed Al Shaikh congratulated the graduates, advising them to approach the next phase of their lives with the utmost professionalism and to apply the learned skillsets of their educational journey towards success in their professional careers. He noted the BIBF’s commitment to fulfilling the business needs across all sectors with a focus on Bahrain’s economic development goals, through the provision of highly qualified local human capital, as a key national goal.

Dr Ahmed reiterated the BIBF’s commitment and contribution as a training provider of quality international programmes, towards achieving these goals, particularly in the banking and financial sector.