The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has launched an academy to provide professional education to enhance the expertise of individuals across a wide range of business sectors.
Delivered via a digital platform, the ICC Academy will provide applicable business education in a bid to help individuals achieve professional competency and ethical conduct, ICC said in a statement.
The academy is launched in partnership with International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the city state’s government agency that promotes international trade and assists Singapore companies to internationalise.
ICC said the courses are designed and taught by ICC’s roster of experts and practitioners, incorporating insights from external senior business leaders and policymakers.
“As the world’s business organisation, ICC has long provided training and certification programmes to help build business skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Harold (Terry) McGraw, ICC chairman and chairman of McGraw Hill Financial.
“We are taking this commitment to growing a skilled workforce and jobs globally to a new level with the launch of this academy, which will be internationally recognised and accessible to all – in developed and developing countries.”
ICC Academy courses are delivered via a digital platform, enabling the academy to offer those in developing and remote regions the same access to education as those in advanced economies.
“E-learning initiatives are being adopted as a means of maximising educational budgets as well as expanding the potential breadth of audience – without compromising on the quality or depth of learning,” said John Danilovich, secretary general of ICC.
“Provided users have access to the internet, distance learning means there will be no inequalities with respect to educational potential via the ICC Academy – no matter where an individual is situated.”
The use of a digital platform also allows ICC to centralise the academy in one location, Singapore. ICC said it chose Singapore because of the country’s well-established ecosystem of business infrastructure, strong network of companies and large pool of skilled talent.
Teo Eng Cheong, chief executive officer, IE Singapore, said: “The establishment of the ICC Academy global headquarters in Singapore is a testament to our role as an international trading hub. With a common mandate to promote international trade, IE Singapore and ICC can jointly contribute to growth of expertise and talent for the sector globally.”
The ICC Academy will draw on ICC expertise in specialist fields – starting with a faculty in banking and trade finance shaped by over 600 banking experts from 110 countries. The faculty features around 70 online courses and two global certificates in trade finance. Following this initial trade finance focus, the ICC Academy will broaden its scope – introducing new curricula, spanning all ICC competences from international law to anti-corruption.
“Certifications from the ICC Academy not only carry the mark of ICC’s global reputation, they are also available and accessible to all – regardless of organisation or location,” Thierry Senechal, ICC Academy global coordinator, said.
