On April 21, 2026, two representatives of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) visited the Faculty of Finance at City University of Macau (CityU Macau) for a collaborative exchange meeting held at the CityU Macau Golden Dragon Campus. Attendees included Mr. Eugene IU, Honorary Advisor of HKIB, member of the Professional Standards and Examination Committee Board, and Chairperson of the Examination Moderating Sub-Committee; Dr. Kate Kwan, Senior Manager, Professional Competence Development, Professional Assessment and Strategic Partnership at HKIB; as well as Professor Adrian Cheung, Dean of the Faculty of Finance, and Associate Professor Eva Khong, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Finance.

Dean Adrian Cheung extended a warm welcome to the HKIB delegation. Both parties engaged in discussions on strengthening exchanges and collaboration between Hong Kong and Macau in banking talent development. The meeting focused on how to enhance the industry competitiveness of students majoring in finance and related fields, as well as how to promote effective articulation between professional qualifications and higher education curricula. During the meeting, HKIB introduced its over 60-year history as a non-profit professional organization recognized by regulators in Hong Kong, dedicated to advancing the professionalization of banking talent. Since 2021, HKIB has established partnerships with the Macau Institute of Financial Services for course promotion and enhancement, and maintains long-term cooperative relationships with Macau regulatory authorities to provide professional qualification certifications for the Macau financial industry. The key discussions of the meeting centered on two core professional qualifications, Enhanced Competency Framework (ECF) and Certified Banker (CB). ECF is a professional qualification jointly promoted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the industry. The ECF establishes competency standards across multiple banking specialties, including anti-money laundering, compliance, wealth management, risk management, and green and sustainable finance. It is structured in different levels to provide clear career development pathways for banking practitioners. HKIB noted that the ECF was mutually recognized by the Monetary Authority of Macau and the HKMA in 2018. Certified Banker (CB) is a professional qualification awarded by HKIB, consisting of three progressive levels. The CB covers various areas including retail banking, corporate banking, wealth management, compliance, and ethics. The highest level of the CB qualification is recognized under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework as equivalent to a Master's degree. HKIB indicated that the CB qualification is highly regarded within Hong Kong's banking industry and helps credential holders expand their career opportunities in the region. In 2019, the Certified Banker (Elementary Level) course was launched in Macau, followed by the first ECF Wealth Management Professional (Macau) training and examination in 2022, and the first Green Finance and Sustainable Development Certificate Course in Macau in 2024.  

The Faculty of Finance at City University of Macau is committed to cultivating financial professionals with international perspectives and strong expertise, actively promoting industry-academia collaboration and student career development. The Faculty presented its curriculum, student profiles, and future development directions, and expressed strong interest in enhancing students' employment competitiveness in the banking and finance sectors. Both parties preliminarily explored potential areas of future cooperation, including curriculum alignment, professional qualification recognition, student training, and industry seminars. They hope to leverage complementary resources between Hong Kong and Macau to create broader career pathways for students. This meeting deepened mutual understanding, and both sides will further study the feasibility of specific cooperation models to jointly promote the long-term development of financial talent cultivation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.