Sponsored by the Central Bank of
Nile University and the Commercial International Bank, they launch the first academic program of its kind in Egypt to promote sustainable financing for small and medium-sized enterprises
Under the auspices of the Central Bank of Egypt, Nile National University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commercial International Bank (CIB), to prepare and design the first academic program of its kind in Egypt to graduate specialists in sustainable finance for small and medium-sized companies.
This step comes within the framework of the role of Nile National University represented by the College of Business Administration in designing quality and specialized programs that fit the requirements and needs of the market and graduates, and in response to the Central Bank of Egypt’s plan to support the growth of small and medium-sized companies, create job opportunities for youth, and enhance financial inclusion.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Nile National University by Dr. Wael Akl, President of the University, and on behalf of the Commercial International Bank, Dr. Dalia Abdel Qader, Head of the Sustainable Finance Sector, and Mr. Rashwan Hammadi, Head of the Consumer and Retail Banking Sectors Group, and Mr. Muhammad Al-Sinary, Head of the Human Resources Sector. In the presence of Mr. Sherif Luqman – Deputy Governor of the Central Bank for the Financial Inclusion Sector, and Dr. Hassan Youssef Ali, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at Nile University.
For his part, Dr. Wael Akl, President of Nile University, welcomed; In continuous and fruitful cooperation with the Commercial International Bank, he pointed out that the university and the bank share a distinguished history of successful partnership in implementing a number of pioneering study and qualification programs.
The President of Nile University said that the CIB is one of the most important banking institutions in Egypt and is known for its excellence in the world, and that the university opens its faculties and research fields to serve pioneering initiatives and banking institutions that have an important role in supporting the requirements of the Egyptian market and economy and qualifying graduates.
Dr. Wael Akl indicated that the aim of the memorandum of understanding that was signed is to prepare a new generation of specialists in financing small and medium enterprises to help the banking sector better serve the market.
Commenting on the program, Mr. Sherif Luqman, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank for the Financial Inclusion Sector, emphasized the Central Bank’s support for such partnerships that universities hold with banks for financial education for different categories of citizens and for introducing financial services and products, and commended the efforts made by all banks. Which contributed to achieving a leap in financial inclusion rates in recent years, and Luqman pointed out that this agreement is a continuation and implementation of the vision and strategy of the Central Bank to support and support small and medium enterprises by educating school and university students to graduate qualified cadres for the labor market in order to better understand the nature and work environment of these projects and their needs He referred to the fruitful cooperation between the Central Bank of Egypt and the National Nile University through the Nile Pioneers Initiative, which is one of the most important current initiatives supporting youth and entrepreneurs.
In a related context, Dr. Hassan Youssef Ali, Dean of the Faculty of Management at Nile University, stated that according to the memorandum of understanding, the Faculty of Business Administration at the university will develop a new path concerned with “sustainable financing for small and medium-sized companies” to make the university a pioneer in this new specialization that it is implementing in cooperation With CIB, as a “founding partner”, especially since CIB will be involved in developing the program in terms of content and professors involved in providing it.
For her part, Dr. Dalia Abdel Qader – Head of the Sustainable Finance Sector at the Commercial International Bank – emphasized that integrating the concept of sustainability with its environmental, societal and governance dimensions into the education curricula in Egyptian universities is vital, as education has a major role in accelerating the transformation of economies and societies towards sustainable development, so it seeks Commercial International Bank to cooperate with pioneering educational institutions that always strive for innovation and development of educational curricula to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market and national and international trends, which necessitate a shift towards sustainable development.
Mr. Rashwan Hammadi from the Commercial International Bank explained the importance of this program and its role in integrating the academic and practical aspects of youth, and its effective impact in preparing qualified cadres for the labor market who possess the skills and applied knowledge to serve the banking sector.
The attendees from the Commercial International Bank expressed their gratitude for this partnership with Nile University, which comes out of the confidence and conviction of the Commercial International Bank in the importance of developing the human element, especially the youth, because of the active role of youth in the development of the economy and the growth of society.
It is noteworthy that this program expresses one of the strategic directions of Nile University and the Commercial International Bank, which seeks to direct their expertise and capabilities to support national initiatives through strategic partnerships, to provide added value to society through programs and projects aimed at direct impact in the industry and to provide advanced solutions to bridge the gap in capabilities needed by the market. Work to achieve Egypt’s 2030 vision.