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Micro and SME Banking Academy in Kingston, Jamaica
On behalf of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) Norah Becerra, Katia Goertz, and Helmut Grossmann travelled to Kingston, in the beginning of November to conduct a one week „Micro and SME Banking Academy“. The DBJ is the governments’ lead agency for the coordination within the Microfinance sector and also acts as wholesaler of funds to banks and MFIs in Jamaica. DBJ has approached Frankfurt School to conduct a comprehensive training on the key issues and newest trends of Micro- and SME Finance that are important for the Jamaican MFIs. A total of 25 managers of selected Financial Institutions and staff of DBJ, participated in the training. As a result of the successful intervention of Frankfurt School, Jamaican managers could acquire new skills and knowledge to introduce new concepts in their institutions. Furthermore some managers showed great interest to get specific advisory services and training in the near future.
LinkEd: New SME Finance e-learning course is a success!
In September 2012 we successfully launched our newly developed e-learning course “Certified Expert in SME Finance” (CESF) with 65 participants from 40 different countries. At the same time our very successful “Certified Expert in Microfinance” (CEMF) e-learning course started for the 3rd time attracting 160 participants from over 50 different countries. Both courses are not only characterized by its internationality but also by the diversity of participants working for various institutions in a broad range of positions. While the majority is working for banks and MFIs, quite a lot are also employed by donor institutions and central banks, other institutions or working as consultants. With a lot of loan officers and other operational staff participating we are happy to see that especially our SME Finance course also attracted many senior employees up to CEO level.
The fact that we also have participants working for important IAS clients such as the World Bank, European Development Bank (EBRD), Asian Development Bank and European Investment Funds, makes us very proud.
Inspired by this success we are now developing a new e-learning course on Risk Management, starting in March 2013.
Registration for the next course starts in March opens 3rd December 2012.
For further information please contact www.linked.fs.de.
MICROFINANCE WINTER ACADEMY 2012 - Real Cases in Real Places
Based on the experiences of the well established Summer Academies, Frankfurt School and ACLEDA Training Center welcomed 29 international participants to its Microfinance Winter Academy held in Siem Reap, Cambodia from November 18 – 23. This brand new and unique concept combined international best practices in microfinance with hands-on experiences of ACLEDA Bank following the motto of “Real Cases in Real Places”.
Participants spend the week discussing the most recent issues in Microfinance including Access of Capital, Operational Management, Credit Risk Management and Transformation. The highlight at the end of the week was a visit of ACLEDA Bank branch were participants got the chance to directly discuss with the branch staff and management on the topics touched on during the week.
The Winter Academy gave the participants coming from twelve different countries the change to exchange experiences, discuss concerns and learn not only from the international and local trainer but also from each other. The training was framed by a broad variety of social events including traditional dancing and cultural shows as well as a visit to the world famous temple ruins of Angkor.
Project Start in China
In October 2012 two new projects started in China. Bank of Xuchang will be supported in setting up Micro Lending Department. The services provided include loan officer recruitment and in-depth class-room and on-the-job training as well as development of products, procedures and materials for successful micro lending. For Bank of Nanchang the micro and small enterprise finance will be enhanced. Services here include recruitment as well as training and business planning including developing the most efficient MSE lending strategy and credit process for the bank. Both projects will run for one year with local and international experts onsite.
Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy in Nairobi
The FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre held the Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy for the very first time at UNEP’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from 21st to 26th October 2012. This particular SEF Summer Academy’s focus was slightly different from the one held in Frankfurt as it had a distinct regional focus. Specific topics covered included the Potential for RE/EE projects in Africa, Challenges and opportunities for successful investments in clean energy technologies, economics and dynamics of the most significant RE sources and practical examples through case studies in the region.
The decision to have a SEF SA in Africa could not have come at a better time, judging by the impressive number of 700 applications received. With 28 participants from diverse backgrounds, who brought in the right mix and set the ball rolling from the very first day, the Summer Academy reached its target of 25-30 participants.
In a nutshell the SA was a huge success to address the rising and often expressed demand for sustainable energy finance training on the African continent. For the team, it was as challenging as it was exciting considering that it was the first time such a programme was being implemented in Kenya.
ASKI founder Rolando B. Victoria speaks at Frankfurt School
On Tuesday, 2 October 2012, Rolando B. Victoria, founder and CEO of Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), an award-winning microfinance institution in the Philippines, presented his approach to microlending during a Brown Bag seminar at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Victoria's presentation was orginised jointly bye IAS' Microfinance Competence Centre and Mikrofinanzwiki, a German microfinance platform.
To read the Interview with Rolando B. Vicotria please click here.
Top management delegation from Anhui Province visited Frankfurt School
- Senior Project Manager Barbara Drexler and Project Manager Andrea Rüsing together with Study Tour delegation.
On August 1st Frankfurt School welcomed a delegation of 18 top managers from different rural and city commercial banks from the Anhui Rural Credit Union. During their two week study tour the delegation took the chance to visit Frankfurt School to learn more about academic and non-academic programmes offered, as well as the services provided by International Advisory Services and Executive Education. Among the delegates was the Deputy General of the Anhui Rural Credit Union, Mo Yuanfa, as well as Wang Zhigang, president of Tongshang Rural Commercial Bank with which IAS is running a project since April 2012.
Dean Cooper visited the UNEP-Centre
During the second week of August the FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance welcomed Dean Cooper, Head of the Energy Finance Unit at UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics on Frankfurt School's premises. During his visit he met with the FS-UNEP Centre staff to discuss progress and updates to the Centre's ongoing projects, and to discuss the Centre's goals for the future.
IAS Team meets Nobel Peace Prize Laurate Muhammad Yunus
- IAS Staff with Nobel Peace Prize Laurate Mohammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus has become the symbol of the global microfinance movement. On 24 October 2011 he visited Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and talked about his vision to overcome poverty and also comment on the current challenges microfinance is facing. One of IAS' main competencies is microfinance. Therefore it was a must for our IAS colleagues to meet Mr Yunus.
IAS and FS-UNEP Centre Team in Durban
- IAS and FS-UNEP staff networking in Durban
For the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Conference of the Parties - "COP17") delegates from IAS and the FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre travelled to Durban, South Africa from November 28 to December 10, 2011. The team's aim was to promote the new Centre and its projects. Besides meeting representatives from donor organizations and potential corporation partners for the Centre they organized a workshop and spoke in a panel discussion.