LONDON: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Bloomberg LP will work together to deliver a financial education programme for university students in nine countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, WAM reported.

The nine IsDB member countries involved in the programme are Bangladesh, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. IsDB and Bloomberg will announce participating universities over the coming months, said an IsDB press release on Thursday.

The programme will leverage the Bloomberg Terminal to support the growth of the Islamic finance sector and empower students in leading universities with the financial skills needed to excel in the professional world.

The programme will equip the next generation of leaders in sectors with the foundational principles of financial markets. By delivering practical real-world experiences, training will enable students to build competencies and transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers.

It is also designed to support the long-term growth of the Islamic finance industry through specialised training on market infrastructure and areas like transparency, connectivity and compliance across central banks and regulators.

At the programme’s core will be IsDB-Bloomberg certification, composed of a series of challenges and modules specially designed for the selected countries and delivered by Bloomberg market specialists. These include the Bloomberg Islamic Finance module to introduce students to the principles of Islamic finance and the relevant tools available on the Bloomberg Terminal.

Top performing students will be recommended for internship opportunities at IsDB.