Bahrain Islamic Bank’s (BisB) Chief Information Security Officer, Mr. Mohamed Hammad, recently lead an awareness seminar at Arabian Gulf University, as part of the Bank’s signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arabian Gulf University (AGU). The seminar, which was hosted at the University, tackled ways to enrich scientific content, targeted towards Ph.D. students enrolled in AGU’s Innovation Management program.

The MoU, which was signed late last year, facilitated the exchange of key training opportunities alongside various workshops and courses between both parties, in order to empower both higher education students at the University and employees at BisB, with a focus on the areas innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. As part of the MOU, key members of the Bank’s employees have been conducting presentations and seminars on several key courses at the University. Ultimately, the sessions aim to elevate the professional skills of future youth leaders in the fields of scientific research, enabling the students to benefit from the practical knowledge and expertise of the Bank’s employees in the field of banking, thereby reinforcing the students’ financial knowledge, in line with the Kingdom’s national development plans.

During the seminar, Mr. Mohamed Hammad, Chief Information Security Officer at BisB, spoke about the role of cybersecurity in new banking operations and modern technologies, and the security risks they create commended the University’s efforts in serving the community, especially in the field of continuing education, and in providing a direct benefit to the banking sector by enabling the students to attain key financial skills and gain knowledge based on the various programs.

On her end, Dr. Afaf Bugawa, Director of AGU Center for Community Service, Training, Consultancies and continuing Education, emphasized the importance of ongoing collaborations and training for higher education students, which effectively bridge the gap between the academic and financial sectors through training courses and workshops, ultimately contributing to achieving national development plans. She also highlighted the vital role of subject matter experts in reinforcing cybersecurity concepts in the financial services sector.

BisB will continue to conduct its training program and other initiatives to enhance leadership and innovation skills in partnership with Arabian Gulf University. The Bank will also support AGU and its students by providing the necessary materials and opportunities for students to conduct case studies and sector-related projects as part of course-work required within the University’s academic curriculums.