The Graduation and Conferment Ceremony of Registered Financial Consultant Certificate Program 2021 was successfully held at the Ho Yin Convention Centre of the City University of Macau (CityU Macau). Prof Jun Liu, Rector of CityU Macau, and Mr Raymond Chan, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of the Macau Institute of Financial Services, attended the ceremony and conferred the Professional Certificate in Financial Consulting to the graduates.
The programme was jointly organised by the Faculty of Finance of CityU Macau, the Macau Institute of Financial Services (IFS), and the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC); supported by the International Training and Testing Center of CityU Macau. A total of 40 students from renowned international insurance companies in Macao obtained the Professional Certificate in Financial Consulting and the Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) designation.
In the ceremony, Rector Jun Liu warmly congratulated all the graduates. He mentioned that the importance of financial planning and risk management has improved during the pandemic, especially as Macao is a city of longevity, citizens will need more financial planning consultants for professional advice.
In response to the call of promoting Macao’s moderate economic diversification alongside the development of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Rector Liu hoped that all graduates can make full use of the professional financial knowledge learned in the course to enhance their business capabilities and contribute to the development of financial services industry in the Greater Bay Area as well as Macao. He also thanked the IFS and the IARFC Hong Kong and Macau Centre for their long-term support in the cooperation.
On behalf of the IFS, Vice Chairman Raymond Chan congratulated the graduates and extended his gratitude to the IARFC Hong Kong and Macau Centre and CityU Macau. He noted that the course level has continuously improved, and much experience gathered since its launch. With the recent efforts of the country to promote the cross-border wealth management business in the Greater Bay Area, he believed that it can provide students with a broader development space in the future.
Vice Chairman Chan added that given the different economic situation and volatile international financial market environment during the global pandemic, the public needs more professional financial planning advice to cope with the complex and volatile market environment. He hoped that graduates can put theory into practice to serve society with high professional standards and ethics.
Dr Teresa So, Chairman of the IARFC Hong Kong and Macau Centre, delivered a remark via video conference to congratulate all graduates. In her speech, she expressed her great pleasure to witness the students obtaining the RFC designations and becoming members of the IARFC. Over the past two years, people have undergone many changes and challenges due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and the global economic outlook has also shown a new normal. In response to the worldwide crisis, it demonstrated how technology changed and subverted traditional business behaviours and lifestyles. With that said, Dr So believed that the crisis was an opportunity to raise awareness of risk management and financial planning; it also highlighted the importance of professional and sound financial planning and the mission of the community, which will usher in greater opportunities in the next decade. She hoped that the graduates will continue to enrich professional knowledge, embrace financial technology, and plan the present from the future blueprint. Dr So also wished to continue working with CityU Macau and IFS to cultivate more financial planning talents for Macao and benefit the local community.
RFC is a professional designation awarded by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC) to financial advisors who meet high standards of education, experience, and ethics. In the ceremony, the graduates expressed the honour to have participated in the programme. They agreed that the programme not only helped them achieve professional standards but also broadened development spaces for their career.
The conferment ceremony was also attended by: General Secretary of the Executive Board of the IFS, Ms Evelyn Kun; Chairman of the Macau Asset Management Association, Mr Chu Chin Lam; Director David Lo, Regional Director Rosa Chan, Regional Director Sou Lai Cheng, and Manager Willis Wong of a leading insurance company in Macao; Finance Director of CityU Macau, Ms Lao Sio Mei; Dean Cheung Wai Kong and Associate Dean Khong Yueng Wah of the Faculty of Finance of CityU Macau, and Director Ho Chan of International Training and Testing Center.