CFA Society Thailand aims to promote the development and modernization of the Thai capital market by increasing the number of investment practitioners who look to improve their understanding of ESG issues, integrate material ESG factors into their roles, and become long-term "ESG Drivers" in the market.
With financial support from Thailand's Capital Market Development Fund and the Stock Exchange of Thailand, CFA Society Thailand has recently promoted the Certificate in ESG Investing and offered scholarships to CFA candidates and charterholders.
The scholarships were exclusive to individuals who had already passed Level I of the CFA exam. The local society promoted the scholarships via email and through CFA charterholder and candidate groups.
CFA Society Thailand also invited scholarship applicants to a webinar with CFA charterholders who had completed the Certificate in ESG Investing. The event, hosted live on Facebook, provided applicants with an opportunity to ask CFA charterholders about the certificate, study materials and potential career paths. After the webinar, 52 individuals applied and were all awarded scholarships.
All scholarship recipients have now joined an online community (the Line group), which is moderated by CFA Society Thailand and volunteers. The community discusses future study group meetings and individuals share tips on preparation.
Sira Suchintabandid, Ph.D., CFA, CFA Society Thailand Board of Directors, said: "Ever since the CFA Institute launched its new ESG Certificate Program, it has attracted lots of attention from various stakeholders in the Thai market. The Stock Exchange of Thailand has been one of our most important collaborators in promoting the Certificate in ESG. With the funding from their Capital Market Development Fund, we can offer scholarships for our society members and candidates interested in the ESG Certificate Program. In so doing, we ensure that the certificate program can reach as many practitioners as possible. As more people successfully complete the program, we believe that they will play an important role in promoting the ESG climate in the Thai market."