LABUAN — The Labuan Faculty of International Finance (FKAL) at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has achieved a major international milestone after its Bachelor of Islamic Finance program received global recognition and accreditation from ABEST21 International.
The prestigious accolade was officialized during the ABEST21 International Annual Conference 2026, held at the Kyoto International Conference Center (KICC) in Kyoto, Japan, on May 19.
This recognition reflects the faculty’s continuous commitment to academic excellence, quality assurance, internationalization, and the development of globally competitive graduates in the fields of finance and Islamic finance.
ABEST21 International President and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Emeritus Dr. Fumio Itoh, who also chaired the conference’s organizing committee, formally invited FKAL Deputy Dean (Academic and International) Dr. Ricky Chia Chee Jiun and Head of the Islamic Finance Program Dr. Maisyarah Stapah @ Salleh to attend the ABEST21 International Accreditation Certificate Presentation Ceremony and Panel Symposium.
During the symposium, Dr. Ricky was selected as an international panelist alongside representatives from Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia to deliberate on the development of higher education and human capital in Global South nations.
Dr. Ricky shared the faculty’s strategic initiatives and experiences in nurturing future-ready, globally competitive graduates equipped with sustainability values, industry exposure, and international perspectives.
In his presentation, titled “Nurturing Future-Ready Human Capital in the Global South: Experience from the Labuan Faculty of International Finance, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,” he underscored several critical areas. These included industry-relevant curriculum development, academia-industry collaboration, digital finance education, ESG integration, internationalization, and the importance of producing technologically adaptive and socially responsible graduates.
He further emphasized the necessity of strengthening educational resilience to develop graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to national and global development.
Dr. Ricky, an alumnus of FKAL, holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in International Financial Economics from UMS. In 2015, he was awarded the prestigious Japanese Government Monbukagakusho (MEXT) Scholarship, enabling him to complete his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics at Yokohama National University, Japan. His areas of expertise include international finance, economics, financial economics, and banking.
The international accreditation serves as a testament that the UMS Islamic Finance program successfully meets global standards and benchmarks in higher education.
This achievement is projected to elevate the faculty’s international visibility, bolster stakeholder confidence, boost student enrollment, and further enhance graduate employability in the future.
“This achievement simultaneously strengthens Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s commitment to empowering academic quality, global networking, and international recognition in higher education,” Dr. Ricky said.
