The Program on International Financial Systems (PIFS) at Harvard Law School and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) recently launched a joint Global Certificate Program for Regulators of Securities Markets.
PIFS and IOSCO jointly developed a two-phase program aimed at offering IOSCO members an executive education program that is tailored to, and exclusively for, regulators of securities markets. The first phase will cover the fundamentals and intricacies of securities regulation and compliance while the second phase will examine current and future regulatory challenges and emerging issues. This new program is part of IOSCO´s ongoing capacity building efforts and is in response to the needs and growing demands for enhanced education and training of regulators of securities markets globally.
Professor Hal S. Scott, Nomura Professor and Director of the Program on Financial Systems at Harvard Law School, said: “We are excited to work for the first time together with a global standard setter in shaping the securities regulators of tomorrow and increasing and enhancing their regulatory skills in protecting investors and ensuring the integrity of the capital markets and strengthening financial stability.”
The IOSCO/PIFS Global Certificate Program will formally rollout in October 2016 with two one-week sessions conducted at the IOSCO Headquarters in Madrid, Spain. Before attending these sessions, participants will study securities regulation materials that provide basic regulatory information. The first week of classes in Madrid will focus on current securities regulation and provide an overview of the regulatory frameworks in different jurisdictions, while the second week will examine ways of ensuring compliance with securities regulations. This part of the program will be delivered primarily by current or former securities regulators.
The capstone experience for the program will be a one week session at Harvard´s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in December 2016, where participants will examine new and pressing regulatory issues. This session will be directed by PIFS and delivered by leading Harvard academics, securities regulators and leading public policy makers.
Greg Medcraft, chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and chairman of the IOSCO Board, said: “I welcome the launch of this program–a key action in our Strategic Direction to 2020. It’s an exciting program developed in collaboration with a leading University and tailored to the aspirations of our members. It’s further evidence of our commitment to supporting the capacity building needs of our members, particularly in growth and emerging markets.”
Program attendees are required to be staff of an IOSCO member organization. They will receive online training as well as 90 hours of classroom education and training at both IOSCO and Harvard. For those who complete both phases, a joint certificate of participation will be awarded. Also, IOSCO members may attend any part of the program on a non-certificate basis.