.jpg)
The Securities & Investment Institute (SII) is for the first time ever working with the Regional Financial Centre of Almaty (RFCA) to establish a qualifications regime for the Kazakhstan financial services industry.
The partnership between SII and the RFCA Academy, the RFCA’s educational centre established for training financial sector professionals, will be officially marked in a ceremony in Almaty on 29 May. Those present at the event will include Mr Arken K. Arystanov, Chairman of the Agency for the Regulation of RFCA activities, Mr Serika Akhanov, Chairman of the Council of Financial Institutions’ Association of Kazakhstan and Cem Kurkcuoglu, SII’s Middle East Manager.
The launch will mark the accreditation of the RFCA Academy by SII to run training courses for the SII’s Certificate programme. The RFCA Academy will be accredited to run the SII Investment Administration Qualification (IAQ), for employees working in operational and support functions in the investment industry. It will also be accredited to run the SII Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ), the first vocational qualification to cover Islamic finance from both a technical and Sharia’ a aspect.
The Academy, sponsored by the Government of Kazakhstan and UBS, will run training courses for employees of investment firms in Kazakhstan wishing to study for those SII qualifications.
The first Training Directors Forum will be hosted by SII the following day, where financial services firms’ directors of training and human resources will be attending. The Forum, chaired by Cem Kurkcuoglu of SII and Alma Issabayeva, the Rector of the Academy, will introduce SII programmes and focus on the theme of “The Investment Industry”.
George Littlejohn, SII Director of Global Business Development said, “We are delighted to have formed this relationship with the RFCA. Kazakhstan’s President has set impressive targets for his country in terms of competitiveness and the SII is honoured to be playing its part in helping develop the industry leaders of the future. This marks a further step in progressing the long-term strategic partnership that exists between the UK and Kazakhstan and, in particular, between the City of London and the Almaty financial services industry.”
Dr Alma Issabayeva, Rector of the Academy of RFCA, said: “From the very beginning our objective has been to create a training centre in accordance with international standards. We are very pleased with the Securities & Investment Institute decision to accredit the Academy of RFCA as an SII Training Provider to educate specialists at international level. This will offer Kazakhstani professionals the opportunity to work in the international capital and financial markets. It is also expected that in the near future the Academy of RFCA will become a regional training centre for Central Asia and other neighbouring countries. Therefore, our cooperation with SII will be growing and will certainly contribute to further development of the whole region.”
