Bank of Maldives (BML) has become a Platinum Partner of the 11th International Conference on Intellectual Advancement (ICIA 2026), the flagship annual research conference organised by the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).
The main conference will take place from August 30 to 31, bringing together scholars, researchers, students, practitioners and policymakers for academic dialogue, research presentations and knowledge exchange. This year’s conference is being held under the theme, “Building a Learning Society for Sustainable Development.”
ICIA 2026 will cover a broad range of disciplines through six main conference strands: social sciences, humanities and education; Sharia and law; tourism, environment and technology; management, business, economics, accounting, finance and banking; Arabic language and literature; and Quranic science and Islamic studies.
The conference accepts several categories of academic work, including research papers, concept papers, review papers and posters. Submissions have been accepted in English, Dhivehi and Arabic, providing opportunities for both local and international researchers to participate.
A full-day conference workshop is also scheduled for August 29, ahead of the main event. The programme is designed to strengthen researchers’ skills in areas including advanced research tools, professional development and publication strategies. Earlier workshops under the ICIA 2026 programme have addressed research foundations, methodology, data and analysis, academic writing and the research review process.
The conference programme also provides opportunities for participants to attend keynote and parallel sessions, panel discussions and networking sessions. Awards associated with ICIA 2026 include best paper awards for students and researchers, an outstanding conference presentation award and the IUM Dean’s Research Advocacy Award.
ICIA has been organised annually by IUM’s Centre for Research and Publication since 2016. During its first three years, the event was known as the International Conference on Islamic Awakening before being rebranded as the International Conference on Intellectual Advancement in 2019.
IUM describes the conference as part of its mandate to expand knowledge and disseminate it to communities locally and internationally. ICIA seeks to bring academics, researchers, students, practitioners and policymakers together for open and constructive discussion, while encouraging the development of learning communities through knowledge exchange.
The university has also highlighted bridging the gap between academic research and policymaking as one of the objectives of the conference, alongside strengthening the research culture in the Maldives and expanding interaction between Maldivian and international academics.
BML said its Platinum Partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that advance research, knowledge sharing and intellectual development in the Maldives.
Through its support for ICIA 2026, the country’s largest bank is contributing to a platform that connects research and academic discussion with issues spanning education, sustainable development, economics, finance, technology, tourism, law and Islamic studies.
