A finance lecturer at Henley Business School at the University of Reading Malaysia has directed a specialised workshop centred on FinTech, Digital Currencies and Islamic Finance, during the annual Gulf Research Meeting (GRM).

Associate Professor in Finance, Dr Nafis Alam, was invited as the director of the two day workshop on 1st and 2nd August, along with Professor Nazim Ali from Hamad bin Khalifa University, Qatar.

The workshop, titled Fintech, Digital Currency and the Future of Islamic Finance in the GCC- Strategy, Operational and Regulatory Issues, was hosted by the Gulf Research Center at the University of Cambridge, and focussed on issues related to FinTech adoption and future developments in the Islamic finance industry, and outlined different aspects of the digital transformation of the Islamic banking sector. It was attended by academics and practitioners from the USA, UK, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The event was one of ten specialised workshops held within the annual GRM, and was aimed at enhancing knowledge and research about the Gulf. Set within the historic outlines of the University of Cambridge, the GRM attempts to highlight the issues of importance to the Gulf region and provide a basis for undertaking and engaging in academic and empirical research in the fields of finance, economics, politics, energy, security and the wider social sciences. The 2018 GRM was opened by Professor Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and the keynote address was delivered by HE Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GRM, held from 31st July to 3rd August, attracted more than 300 attendees.

More details about the GRM can be found at: http://grm.grc.net/index.php and details of the workshop run by Dr Nafis Alam, can be found at http://grm.grc.net/index.php?pgid=Njk=&wid=MTQx&yr=2018