BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN — The Centre For Islamic Banking, Finance and Management (CIBFM) has rebranded to Brunei Institute of Leadership and Islamic Finance (BILIF), 11 years after the training institution was established.

With the launch of its rebranded corporate identity on Monday, BILIF seeks to address skills gaps and provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities in the public and private sectors.

Hjh Rokiah Hj Badar, chair of BILIF’s Board of Directors, said the institute will further develop local talents, in line with its new vision of creating a world of industry-leading professionals  with high intellect and insight, particularly in Islamic finance.

Since 2010, BILIF has trained 12,435 people and conducted 496 programmes in management, licensing, technical and soft skills.

BILIF acting chief executive officer Hjh Sufinah Hj Sahat during the rebrand launch. Photo: Courtesy of BILIF

The training institution, which comes under the purview of Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD), will expand its research to develop the financial sector, said Hjh Sufinah Hj Sahat, BILIF’s acting chief executive officer.

She said BILIF gathered data and conducted surveys during its rebranding process.

“The research started in 2019 with a review of [similar] CIBFM institutions all over the world.

“While we feel that CIBFM has gained more credibility especially on the international stage in the last few years, it was the right time for us to move forward towards a name that we feel is more representative of who we are and what we want to achieve,” she added.

Hjh Sufinah, who is also the assistant managing director of AMBD, said the institute aspires to become a globally-recognised professional learning institution in Islamic finance by 2025.

“In our Strategic Plan 2021-2025, our mission is to shape future leaders, experts and innovators in the areas of Islamic finance and leadership through immersive programmes and world-class events,” she said.

At the launch event, BILIF also signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Singapore Management University (SMU) and Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) to train Bruneians.

Minister of Home Affairs YB Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awang Abu Bakar Hj Apong unveiled the new name and corporate logo of BILIF in his capacity as deputy chairman of AMBD board of directors.