Challenges Facing Education and Training in Islamic Banking: The Case of Bahrain

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to use the Futures Triangle to map the main problems and challenges facing the educational and training field in Islamic banking (IB) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and to question certain commonly held assumptions. The study reports the results of interviews that were undertaken with senior officials and academicians in this field. It revealed that, as Islamic banking matures, the need for a highly competent, motivated work force, with a fundamental understanding of business, as well as knowledge of Shari’a, is a pressing requirement for the industry to continue growing at a healthy pace. The findings of the study demonstrate that there should be: (1) a code of practice dedicated to the assurance of quality and standards in education and training in Islamic banking; (2) robust processes for designing, approval, monitoring and continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of the IB programs; and (3) education which is closer to industry with a problem-based learning curriculum that encourages active critical thinking interaction among academia, students and industry at all levels.