Mid-career professionals keen to start afresh in the international trading sector can enrol in the Professional Conversion Programme for international trading executives, launched last July for mid-career entrants. SMU’s International Trading Institute (ITI@SMU) conducts the training and matches applicants to jobs under the one-year part-time programme, which covers topics from export planning and risk management to trade finance.

SMU Vice President for Business Development and Academic Director of ITI@SMU Professor Annie Koh said the programme was meant to not only prepare trainees for present trading roles but also “how trade can and will be disrupted in future”. To this end, the institute has added content and topics on e-commerce, data analytics and cybersecurity. It also invites firms such as Mastercard and Accenture to give talks and classes on topics such as trade digitisation and electronic payments. Prof Koh noted that the programme’s first cohort of 23 started the programme last November, and more than 300 are asking to be matched to firms right now. The next run — targeted at positions in commodities firms — will begin in the second quarter of this year to support physical commodity trading across borders.