Dr Abbas is also the recipient of several awards from several governments and from the Islamic Development Bank, he received the Annual Prize for Research in Islamic Economics in recognition of his service in advancing the knowledge in Islamic finance. He has published books and research articles on a wide range of areas including microeconomic theory, mathematical economics and Islamic economics. During his tenure at INCEIF, Dr. Abbas will also engage in research and consultancy in on Islamic finance, including guiding academic research and supervising dissertations and theses of INCEIF students. He will also present lectures abroad organised by INCEIF as part of the efforts to strengthen the international alliances that have been established with INCEIF BIS Review 9/2010  1  from other centres of learning in other parts of the world. His appointment as the inaugural holder of INCEIF Chair of Islamic Finance would certainly give INCEIF the opportunity to raise its capacity to become a world class learning institution dedicated to Islamic Finance. Dr Abbas valuable knowledge and insights and his extensive experience in both academia and at the IMF, will benefit and enhance the knowledge and expertise of INCEIF graduates as well as the academia and financial community. Since its establishment in 2006, INCEIF has grown from strength to strength and has been recording a steady increase in the number of students for its three programmes, the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional or the CIFP, Masters in Islamic Finance and PhD in Islamic Finance.
Zeti Akhtar Aziz: Expanding further understanding of Islamic finance Welcoming remarks by Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, at the INCEIF's (The Global University in Islamic Finance) Public Lecture by Dr Abbas Mirakhor, the First Holder of INCEIF Chair of Islamic Finance, Kuala Lumpur, 29 January 2010. *  *  *  It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the INCEIF's Inaugural Public Lecture by Dr Abbas Mirakhor, a distinguished scholar and the first holder of the INCEIF Chair of Islamic Finance. The INCEIF Public Lecture Series aims to provide a forum for promoting intellectual engagement to discuss the issues, developments and challenges in the area of Islamic finance. The global financial crisis that has dominated the headlines across the world for more than two years has brought to the forefront the fundamental issues in the international financial system that need to be addressed. Now, as the growth prospect resumes, the debate is focussed on the priorities and direction needed to reshape the post crisis world to ensure that the recovery will be sustainable. While Islamic finance has demonstrated its resilience during this period, the industry is now entering into an environment that is fundamentally different in this post crisis era. The international financial reform agenda will result in new structures, standards and regulatory regimes for the global financial industry. Greater financial inter-linkages and integration will also require greater cooperation and collaboration in the endeavour to preserve global financial stability.