According to IsDB group chairman Muhammad Al Jasser, Azmi’s appointment was made in view of his deep understanding of Islamic finance’s potential, and knowledge of the hopes and challenges of its member countries.
“Azmi holds the distinction of being the only Malaysian on the panel of five from diverse backgrounds, who are expected to act in their individual capacity,” INCEIF University said in a statement.
The panel of external advisers plays a role in providing insights and guidance to IsDB’s chairman on the group’s strategic vision and corporate strategies as well as ensure high quality and robust output.
The panel also includes Carlos Lopes of University of Cape Town’s Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance as well as senior partner and CEO of Rwanda’s SouthBridge Investment, Frannie Leautier.
The other two are International Monetary Fund executive director Mahmoud Mohieldin, and adviser to Saudi Arabia’s royal court, Majid A Al-Moneef.
The university quoted Azmi as saying that he looked forward to leveraging Malaysia’s experience in Islamic finance to contribute to the strategic vision of IsDB.
“As a global leader in Islamic finance, Malaysia has long been a proponent of innovative financial solutions to balance economic growth with social equity.
“Drawing from this experience, I hope to offer valuable insights that will help shape IsDB’s efforts to foster sustainable development and financial inclusion across its member countries,” he said.
Azmi previously held the position as director-general of IsDB’s Islamic Research and Training Institute (Irti), now known as IsDB Institute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
INCEIF University said that at Irti, Azmi introduced innovative policy research which culminated in flagship reports such as the Irti Islamic Social Finance Report and the IsDB World Bank Global Report on Islamic Finance.
He also provided technical support to several IsDB member countries for implementing Islamic finance, including in the development of Indonesia’s Shari’ah Economy Masterplan 2019-2024 and Kazakhstan’s Islamic Finance Masterplan 2020-2025.
For more information about INCEIF University, visit: https://inceif.edu.my/