The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization for which USCIB serves as the American national committee, today launched the ICC Academy – setting a new standard for professional education. Based in Singapore and delivered via a digital platform, the Academy will provide rigorous, relevant and applicable business education – encouraging individuals to reach their highest potential with respect to professional competency and ethical conduct.
The Academy has been launched in partnership with International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the government agency that promotes international trade and assists Singapore companies to internationalize. Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang joined ICC board members at the launch of the ICC Academy, which aims to enhance the expertise of practitioners across a wide range of business sectors.
“As the world’s business organization, ICC has long provided training and certification programs to help build business skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Terry McGraw, chairman of ICC (as well as USCIB) and chairman of McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global]. “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 recognized and accessible to all – in developed and developing countries.”
IE Singapore and ICC share a common vision to promote global trade. The former’s role is to establish Singapore as a global trading hub while the latter promotes open trade and investment and helps businesses worldwide meet the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly integrated world economy. The ICC Academy is a successful partnership milestone for both parties in nurturing global business leaders and experts. It will serve as a center of excellence and thought leadership for the global business community.
Taking full advantage of ICC’s extensive global network, the ICC Academy promotes the highest standards of excellence in global professional education – providing a wide range of specialized programs that are recognized worldwide. Courses are designed and taught by ICC’s unrivalled roster of experts and practitioners, incorporating insights from external senior business leaders and policymakers.
ICC Academy courses are delivered via a dynamic digital platform, using innovative tools to give the Academy global reach. The ICC Academy can therefore offer those in developing and remote regions the same access to world-class professional education as those in advanced economies – developing skills even in the most challenging locations.
“E-learning initiatives are being adopted as a means of maximizing educational budgets as well as expanding the potential breadth of audience – without compromising on the quality or depth of learning,” said ICC Secretary General John Danilovich. “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 centralize the Academy in one location: Singapore – an established international trade hub, underpinned by its strategic location and presence of a strong trading community. It is chosen as the location of the ICC Academy because of the country’s well-established ecosystem of business infrastructure, strong network of companies and large pool of skilled talent. The ICC Academy will further enhance this trade ecosystem.
Teo Eng Cheong, chief executive officer of 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.
