Bahrain FinTech Bay, the primary innovation hub for financial technology, announced the establishment of the MENA Innovation Academy-MENA-IA-as part of its first-of-its-kind initiatives to develop talent, improve fintech expertise, instill a culture of innovation, and prepare careers in financial organizations in the MENA region.
Specifically, the MENA-IA shall be established in collaboration with the Reboot Coding Institute, Reboot01: an academic institution that offers advanced programs, all geared toward industry focus, which ensures the academy will deliver high-quality education and training, using the strengths both of BFB and of Reboot01.
The partnership with the best global universities will enable the academy to offer a wide range of courses, including fintech, insurtech, regtech, digital transformation, strategy, leadership, and technical skills. The very broadness of education in this method will be characteristic for cooperation between BFB and Reboot01 - everyone participating will familiarize themselves with general industry insights as well as with penetrating technical knowledge.
The first cohort will be hosted by the University of California, Berkeley, under its Berkeley-AMENA Entrepreneurship and Development initiative. UCB is considered a leader in research conducted on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data-areas that cut particularly into finance and fintech. They will be offering a certified course in Artificial Intelligence in FinTech from November 18. This is an eight-week program specially designed for professionals in non-technical roles interested in enhancing their skills in using generative AI tools within financial institutions. The academy is now open to applications, and interested participants may register on the academy's website. The program will utilize a hybrid delivery model, though it will limit the number of participants to 50 only to ensure that the interactive learning process will be well sustained.
This is only the start of the year, as MENA Innovation Academy has set out to disperse a range of courses and workshops throughout the year, targeting the emerging needs of professionals in the banking and technology sectors. Focusing on practical applications, the academy will strive to become an essential tool for professional development in the region.
