SMU’s Singapore Green Finance Centre launches new courses to grow in-demand sustainability management skills for financial services professionals

17 Apr 2024

Singapore, 17 April 2024 (Wednesday) - The Singapore Green Finance Centre (SGFC) of Singapore Management University (SMU) has announced the launch of four new courses, in support of the new Sustainable Finance Jobs Transformation Map unveiled by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Institute of Banking and Finance today. Three of the courses are aimed at upskilling financial services professionals in high-priority roles related to sustainability and risk, and one is designed specifically to cater to members of the public.

SGFC's latest slate of sustainable finance (SF) courses is targeted at financial services professionals who aspire to upgrade their skill sets amid growing demand for sustainable finance and investment capabilities. The courses have been designed with industry expert inputs and professional reviews by SGFC partners, and are targeted at building capacity among financial services professionals.

The four courses are:

1. The SGFC Sustainable Investment Management Course, instructed by SMU Associate Professor of Finance Hao Liang, who also serves as the Co-Director of the SGFC. It is specifically tailored for professionals in the financial sector who are keen on driving sustainable investment strategies within their organisations. This is accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore Standards Training Scheme (IBF-STS) and is available for enrolment from 17 April 2024.
2. The SGFC Sustainability Stewardship Development Course, instructed by Dr Rajiv Lall, Professorial Research Fellow at SMU's Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics (SKBI) who also serves as a Management Committee Member of the SGFC. It will train participants to lead and implement effective sustainability stewardship strategies in organisations. This is also IBF-STS accredited and is open for enrolment from 17 April 2024.
3. The SGFC Carbon Markets and Decarbonisation Strategies Course focuses on key concepts in carbon markets and decarbonisation pathways. It will begin enrolment in Q4 2024.
4. The Introduction to Sustainability & Sustainable Finance, is an Asia-specific course for building awareness and offered to members of the public without charge. A foundational course, it is SMU's first massive open online course (MOOC) and supported by SMU's Executive Development. Led by Dr Rajiv Lall, the MOOC's first module is also available for enrolment from 17 April 2024, while the subsequent two modules will be released in phases within the first half of this year. All three modules will feature interviews of over 20 subject matter experts, including key members of SGFC's nine founding partners, namely, Bank of China Limited, BNP Paribas, Fullerton Fund Management, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Schroders, Standard Chartered Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and UBS AG, as well as representatives from SGX, Blackrock, DBS, and more.

Vital skills for Asia's shift to a low-carbon economy

The courses are all designed to build skills in high demand, including social sustainability management, climate change management, natural capital management, sustainability risk management, and sustainability lending instruments structuring, which is vital for designing finance products and risk frameworks. (See more details in the Annexe below)

Ms Nikki Kemp, Centre Director for SGFC, said, "SGFC is dedicated to building sustainable finance capabilities in Singapore and Asia through high-impact applied research, collaboration with industry partners, and developing a robust talent pipeline. With this growing suite of carefully curated programmes, we seek to transform the sustainable finance sector by growing a community of well-informed practitioners who can create critical solutions for their organisations. As Asia transitions to a low-carbon future, financial services professionals will benefit from a practical and industry-relevant curriculum offering deep insights into carbon markets, sustainable finance instruments and sustainability reporting among others."

All four are asynchronous online courses to enable working adults to learn at their own pace and convenience. Course subsidies are available under the IBF Standards Training Scheme (IBF-STS) for self-sponsored individuals and sponsored individuals from financial institutions and fintech firms regulated by the MAS.

SGFC is currently offering three online IBF-STS accredited courses, the MOOC, and an in-person Climate Finance Academy programme designed specifically for senior executives. Its first IBF-STS accredited course, "Climate Change Management", started on 12 January 2023, under the instruction of SMU Professor of Urban Climate, Winston Chow.

He is the first Singaporean to be elected as Co-Chair of the Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC)'s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) Cycle Bureau. The IPCC Bureau is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

Enclosure: Annexe on new and existing courses offered by Singapore Green Finance Centre

Media Contact:

Koh Joh Ting (Ms)

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

SMU Office of Corporate Communications & Marketing

Email: jtkoh[at] smu.edu.sg| Mobile: +65 9336 3288

About Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU's mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and to produce broad-based, creative, and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU's education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative, and project-based approach to learning.

Home to over 13,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate professional and postgraduate research programmes, SMU comprises eight schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Computing and Information Systems, School of Law, School of Social Sciences, College of Integrative Studies and College of Graduate Research Studies. SMU offers a wide range of bachelors', masters', and PhD degree programmes in the disciplinary areas associated with its schools, as well as in multidisciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU emphasises rigorous, high-impact, multi- and interdisciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance. SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities around the world, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector. SMU's city campus is a modern facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government, and the wider community. www.smu.edu.sg

About Singapore Green Finance Centre

The Singapore Green Finance Centre was established in 2020 as Singapore's very first Centre of Excellence dedicated to driving Asia-focused green finance research and talent development. The Centre is a joint initiative between the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) at Singapore Management University and the Imperial College London. It is supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and nine leading financial institutions: Bank of China Limited, BNP Paribas, Fullerton Fund Management, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Schroders, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Standard Chartered and UBS AG. SGFC is committed to developing high-impact applied research, engaging with the industry, and building capability. https://www.singaporegreenfinance.com/

17 April_SMU Media Release and annexe - SGFC SFJTM courses.pdf223.16 KB