ISTANBUL (Sept. 29, 2003) — Dow Jones Indexes announced today the creation of the Dow Jones Indexes Islamic Award to recognize outstanding and innovative research in Islamic Finance at the Islamic Finance Forum in Istanbul. The award is open to all parties interested in Islamic Finance such as investors, academics, scholars and students.
Lars Hamich, executive director global business development at Dow Jones Indexes said: “The Dow Jones Islamic Markets Indexes are the leading global benchmark for Shari’h compliant equity investment. They are used by investment managers worldwide to measure the performance of portfolios or as the underlying for financial products. Dow Jones Indexes seeks to contribute to the continued growth and development of Islamic Finance and to encourage additional research that will add value to Islamic financial tools. This is another indication of Dow Jones Indexes’ commitment to Islamic finance”
Participants can choose one of five topics to provide a research document to Dow Jones Indexes by January 15, 2004. The five topics are Common Ground for Faith Based Investing; A Diversified Shari’h Compliant Portfolio; Framework for Islamic Capital Market; What is Islamic Corporate Governance?; and Dow Jones Islamic Market Screening for Shari’h Compliant Universe from Muslim Country Stock Exchanges.
The four best of all submitted research documents will be selected by the Award Committee and will be presented at the 5th Islamic Finance Forum in Dubai early 2004. The Award Committee of the Dow Jones Indexes Islamic Award consists of Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, Shari’h Scholar, Malaysia; Prof. Mahmoud el Gamal, professor of economics at Rice University, United States; Prof. Rodney Wilson, professor of economics at Durham University, United Kingdom; Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, Shari’h Scholar, Bahrain and Rushdi Siddiqui, global director Dow Jones Islamic Markets at Dow Jones Indexes, United States.
Details about the Dow Jones Indexes Islamic Award can be found at the Dow Jones Indexes web site www.djindexes.com.