MMA Launches Research Fund at Inaugural Conference

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has officially launched a research fund dedicated to advancing research work, with an initial amount of approximately USD 64,855. The announcement was made during the two-day MMA Research Conference 2024, organised by the central bank.

The fund was declared open by Dr Mahamood Shougee, Chancellor of Maldives National University, who served as the guest of honour at the inaugural ceremony. According to the central bank, the fund is designed to foster research and education, create an optimal environment for conducting research, and provide essential support to researchers.

In addition to the launch of the research fund, the conference saw the signing of agreements with two key partners. The first agreement, signed with telecom provider Dhiraagu, focuses on promoting research to ensure a sustainable future and fostering innovative technologies. The second agreement, signed with Malaysia-based Selangor Islamic University, aims to advance research in economics, the education sector, and innovative technologies.

The MMA Research Conference 2024, the first of its kind organised by the Maldives central bank, attracted researchers, financial experts, economists, and financial technology experts from both the Maldives and abroad. The conference featured keynote speeches by Dr Shougee, MNU Governor Ahmed Munawar, and the Deputy Governor of India’s Reserve Bank.

Held under the theme “Advancing Economic Research: Policy and Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” the conference included keynote addresses, panel discussions, presentations of research papers, and workshops.

One of the highlights was the MMA-ADBI-APAEA Joint Workshop on Monetary Policy and Central Banking Issues in Asia and the Pacific. This workshop, co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), MMA, and the Asia-Pacific Applied Economics Association (APAEA), examined monetary policy, banking and finance, and central banking issues across developing Asia and the Pacific.