Islamic Finance - International Consulting Project

A new initative at Rotman (although you wouldn't know it as it has simply exploded this year) is the International Consulting Project. Laura Wood, Director of International Programs, has started a new research type project that engages students to work with professors on international topics. Some countries involved are the G20, Middle East, Israel, Africa and potentially others.

I myself am participating in the Islamic Finance ICP with Walid Hejazi, the professor who leads the Middle East study tour.

Yesterday, we were invited to attend the kick off event for the Islamic Finance EMBA course which will be offered in Jan 2011. The keynote speaker was David Dodge, Senior Advisor, Bennett Jones and former Governor of the Bank of Canada. He spoke about the growing interest in Islamic finance and how there it is common for people to see Shariah compliant instruments as simply "no interest" and how this superficial understanding does not encompass the fundamental rational for the structure of these products.

I am looking forward to working with my four other colleagues on this research project to look at Islamic financial instruments.