When the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) launched the Certificate in International Trade and Finance (CITF), this was a game changer in trade finance learning. You didn’t have to be a specialist in trade finance documentation to get a qualification – this was something for all participates in trade, be they importers, exporters, insurers, or financiers – even trade finance journalists.
Trade Finance TV welcomes into the studio the LIBF Relationship Director David Morrish, and one of the course’s eagle-eyed examiners, David Meynell, Senior Technical Adviser at the ICC Banking Commission and Co-owner of tradefinance.training. They explain how the course came to be set up and its rigorous standards – the exam has a pass mark of 70%.
“There was a real need to give people an immersion in international trade,” says Morrish. He explains how every single aspect of international trade was captured to create a course that would give students the vocabulary and confidence to talk about how trade gets done.
“We brought in a few experts from around the world to rewrite the curriculum in 2016 and we have rewritten it again, says Meynell. This is not an easy exam (as past students confirm), and with new components covering financial crime compliance, digital trade finance, sustainability and the revised incoterms has made it even tougher.
Meynell and Morrish also reflect on learning styles and how this can be done using textbooks, online learning in 30 or 60 minute modules and through interaction with other students and colleagues.
