Blockchain academics

​The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) has launched a ‘Blockchain Academy’ this year that offers the kingdom’s first blockchain professional qualification programme, in addition to a series of master classes and workshops.
BIBF, worked in collaboration with Dubai-based training provider, myLearning Key, to deliver a five-day training programme to prepare participants to earn the international qualification of Certified Blockchain Professional C|BP.
Awarded by The Institute of iBusiness, also known as the IIB Council, a US-based organisation, the course aims to bring practitioners up to speed with industry requirements while forming the global standards in the Blockchain Industry, one of the fastest growing disciplines.
The C|BP course promises to provide ‘a 100 per cent’ hands-on thorough overview of blockchain technology and its implementation in the real world, the course designers say. The C|BP Certification consists of three knowledge and competency areas: development, implementation and strategy.
During the course, students will not only be exposed to multiple Blockchain implementation concepts but they will also be immersed in a guideline for sustainable and scalable Blockchain development with the use of quantum resistant ledgers.
In addition, through the academy, the BIBF will offer a series of master classes that cater not only to the IT professionals but also to the business professionals from various levels to enable them to gain the required knowledge and potential effective applications of the Blockchain technology in their organisations.
BIBF Director Dr Ahmed Al Shaikh said: “In alignment with the institute’s direction to position Bahrain as the IT Hub for training in the region and to adapt to market requirements, the BIBF continues to introduce new programmes to develop the skills and knowledge of the kingdom’s human capital.
“As we live in the era of digital innovation and technological advancements, we are pleased to collaborate with myLearning Key and the IIB Council to introduce the first blockchain professional qualification to support the growing demand for skilled blockchain professionals.”
His previous roles include a number of high profile leadership positions most recently as vice-president, enterprise and human capital development at Tamkeen.
Colleague Ahmed Naeemi, the BIBF’s head of IT, operations and project management, added:  “As the role of information technology is evolving towards digital innovation and transformation, the Blockchain Academy is one of our new initiatives in an attempt to support businesses and organisations with their digital transformation plans.”
The BIBF is a semi-government training institute affiliated to the Central Bank of Bahrain. It aims to play a vital role in the training and development not only in Bahrain and the Gulf region, but also in the wider Middle East and North Africa.
It serves as a partner to numerous world-class institutions delivering assessment and training in the areas of banking, Islamic finance, executive development, accounting & finance, academic studies, leadership & management, insurance, information technology and communication, project management and supply chain management.
The latest move has become a global imperative as the FinTech sector expands at a vast rate.
The original use of blockchain was to store and track crypto-currency transactions. However, new initiatives to benefit society more broadly are emerging. They include the establishment of secure digital identities, the fight against corruption, land registry and the coordination of food deliveries.
Blockchain is also fast emerging as a priority technology for future collaboration among airports and airlines.
Significant resources have also being put towards conducting comprehensive studies to understand how blockchain can work for the provision of healthcare, and dozens of start-ups have set out to revolutionise the healthcare space for the better. In the battle against counterfeit drugs, for example, pharmacists and patients are using it to verify the legitimacy of their medicine, and even see minute details such as the date and manufacturing details for each order.
Jay Bavisi, President and CEO, EC-Council, said: “We live in a time when there are too many business people without jobs and too many jobs without people. This is primarily due to a global skills mismatch between what employers expect and what business professionals possess.
“With this in mind, EC-Council brainchild, the IIB Council, was created to train and certify business professionals on knowledge, technical and digital skills that are highly-demanded in the job market.”
For more details contact the BIBF IT Centre Team by calling 17815551, or visiting [email protected]

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