Islamic finance on the rise in business schools

Universities around the world are responding to demand for business graduates knowledgeable of Shariah law by expanding Islamic finance programs, Bloomberg reported. Currently, professionals tend to be specialists in either finance or Shariah, but rarely both, creating a gap in the number of qualified professionals in a trillion dollar market. The International Islamic University of Malaysia saw enrolment triple for its undergraduate Islamic finance program over the past year, and is responding by developing graduate courses. A professor at Durham University, in England, says more lecturers are needed to meet the student demand, and La Trobe University in Australia is developing courses for the Chartered Islamic Finance Professionals accreditation.