Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2023 – INCEIF University today conducted a Masterclass on Sustainability which was attended by 26 participants from among industry players, energy experts, academia and university students.

The one-day Masterclass provided an overview on sustainability & its concept, UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, ESG and Pathways to Net Zero and more. Participants were exposed to the relevant regulations and trends, their implications for businesses and the importance of sustainability to the ‘people and planet’.

The Masterclass was facilitated by Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Mr Bilal Parvaiz and Prof Dr Zulkarnain Muhammad Sori, who are experts in their respective fields. They shared their insights and experiences on how sustainability can be integrated into business practices and strategies.

Tan Sri Wahid, who is INCEIF’s Professor of Practice, is the Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Berhad. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished corporate leaders in Malaysia having successfully led as CEO three major organisations in infrastructure development (UEM Group 2001 – 2004), telecommunications (Telekom Malaysia 2004 – 2008) and financial services (Maybank 2008 – 2013). He served as Group Chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia’s largest fund management company, from August 2016 to June 2018 following completion of his term as a Senator and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Economic Planning from June 2013 to June 2016.

Mr Bilal Parvaiz is Executive Director & Head of Islamic Corporate, Commercial & Institutional Banking at Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad. He is also responsible for regional coverage of Saadiq in the ASEAN markets. He also leads the Halal360 initiative and is the country champion for Sustainable Finance. He played an instrumental role in originating and concluding landmark transactions across GCC, South Asia and ASEAN, including market firsts such as world’s first ESG Islamic Collateralised Commodity Murabahah transaction and Sustainable Islamic Supplier Finance. He holds a certification in Sustainable Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and the Sustainability Leadership Programme at the University of Cambridge.

Prof Zulkarnain is Associate Dean (Academic) of School of Graduate & Professional Studies and Professor of Accounting/Auditing at INCEIF.  He is a Chartered Accountant registered with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants. During his 30 years in financial education and financial advisory industry, he was involved in wide variety of research and consultancy projects in accounting, auditing, governance, entrepreneurship and finance areas. He is currently serving as a member of the Standards Review Taskforce of the Malaysian Qualification Agency which evaluates and revises the Islamic Finance and Muamalat Standards. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (funded by Erasmus+, EU) & the Asian Accounting Finance & Business Research Unit, Cardiff University (funded by Universiti Putra Malaysia). Prior to joining the academia in 2000, he served the industry in various capacity i.e. accountant/auditor/finance manager in trading, transportation and services industry. He has published in various reputable journals and served as editor at local and international journals.

Based on the feedback from the participants, who were engaged in lively discussions with the facilitators and each other, the Masterclass was a success. They  expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn from the experts and network with other professionals.

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