Key details
Mode of delivery: Classroom-based
Course code: AFB58
Duration: 8 days
Fee: £6,945.00 + VAT
CPD Hours: 48
Course Overview
This course is designed for early-career professionals, new hires, or individuals moving into roles that interact with central banks. It provides a clear and practical introduction to the core responsibilities, tools, and impact of central banking. Whether participants are working within a central bank or supporting its work from related institutions, this programme offers the essential building blocks for understanding how central banks help keep economies stable and functioning. The course begins by exploring why central banks exist, how they’ve evolved over time, and what their main objectives are today—from keeping prices stable to promoting trust in the financial system. Participants learn about the typical structure and governance of a central bank, and how its independence and accountability shape its role in society. A full day is dedicated to monetary policy, where participants learn how interest rates are set, how central banks manage the money supply, and why these decisions matter for businesses, inflation, and everyday life. Using real examples and interactive simulations, they gain a practical feel for how central banks respond to economic challenges. The programme then moves into financial stability and risk, helping participants understand how central banks monitor the health of the financial system, spot signs of potential crisis, and communicate clearly during uncertain times. Sessions also cover how central banks are governed and how they maintain public trust. Participants also explore the role of central banks in supervising banks and ensuring compliance with key regulations. This includes how central banks oversee financial institutions, enforce anti-money laundering standards, and respond to emerging challenges like fintech and digital banking. The first week finishes with a reflection and action planning session, helping participants connect what they’ve learned to their own work. By the end of the programme, they’ll have a confident grasp of central banking essentials—equipping them to grow in their roles and contribute more effectively to their institutions.
This course also explores how central banks are adapting their mandates and operations in response to climate change, digital transformation, and evolving societal expectations. It introduces strategic foresight and scenario planning to help institutions navigate geopolitical and systemic uncertainties. The programme delves into the future of money, examining CBDCs, crypto assets, and cross-border payment innovations. In addition, it addresses institutional innovation through AI, automation, and cybersecurity, while highlighting the importance of talent development and operational resilience in building future-ready central banks.
Agenda
Day — 1 Central Banking Foundations and Core Objectives
- Origins, Evolution, and Purpose of Central Banks
- Key Functions and Governance Structures
- Exploring Central Bank Mandates Across Global Models
Day — 2 Monetary Policy in Action-
- Conventional and Unconventional Policy Tools
- Crisis Response and Comparative Analysis
- Evaluating the Impact of Monetary Policy on Financial Stability
Day — 3 Financial Stability, Risk Governance, and Crisis Communication
- Systemic Risk and Financial Stability Frameworks
- Financial Stability Reports and Risk Communication
- Governance, Ethics, and Crisis Communication
Day — 4 Bank Supervision and Compliance
- Supervisory Principles and Regulatory Architecture
- AML-CFT Compliance and Global Standards
- Supervisory Technologies (SupTech) and Innovation in Regulation
Day — 5 Weekly Review
- Summary and recap of key learning objectives
- Action Planning
Day — 6 Adapting Mandates and Strategy in a Transforming World
- Redefining Central Bank Mandates: Climate, Digital, and Social Dimensions
- Strategic Foresight and Scenario Planning in Central Banking
- Navigating Geopolitical and Systemic Uncertainty
Day — 7 The Future of Money and Monetary Infrastructure
- Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs): Design, Pilots, and Global Trends
- Cryptoassets, DeFi, and Monetary Sovereignty Challenges
- Cross-Border Payments, Interoperability, and BIS Innovation Hub Use Cases
Day — 8 Governance, Digital Risk, and Institutional Innovation
- AI, Automation, and the Digitalisation of Central Bank Operations
- Cybersecurity, AML/CFT, and Operational Resilience in a Digital Era
- Talent Strategy and Capability Building for Future-Ready Institutions
Course Review
- Summary and recap of key learning objectives
- Action Planning
Post-Course
- Five (5) x hour-long Executive Coaching sessions at monthly intervals following Course Completion
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Central bank officials and policy advisors
- Financial sector regulators and supervisors
- Senior staff from ministries of finance and treasury departments
- Risk management professionals in public financial institutions
- Economists and analysts specializing in monetary and financial stability.
- Members of financial stability and macroprudential policy units
- Internal auditors and compliance officers in regulatory bodies
- Professionals involved in crisis management and contingency planning.
- FinTech and SupTech specialists in regulatory innovation units
- Governance, ethics, and transparency officers in public institutions
- Researchers and academics in finance, economics, and public policy.
- Development partners and advisors supporting financial sector reform.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to implement a successful strategy that enables you to:
- Explore the historical development of central banks and financial systems, their core mandates (price stability, sustainable growth, financial stability), and how these roles evolved across global and regional contexts.
- Understand central banking functions including monetary policy, lender of last resort, and financial system oversight; review governance models, independence, boards and committees, and institutional accountability.
- Understand and compare how central banks operate under different mandates across global models, and evaluate how these mandates shape their functions, priorities, and governance structures.
- Learn how interest rates, open market operations, and reserve requirements influence economies, and explore newer tools like quantitative easing, negative interest rates, and yield curve control (YCC), with a case study on the Bank of Japan.
- Examine how central banks responded to the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing tools, timing, and effectiveness across different contexts.
- Analyse the use of conventional and unconventional monetary policy tools, assess central bank responses to financial crises, and evaluate the impact of these policies on economic stability and recovery.
- Understand the importance of financial stability, how to identify systemic risk through indicators like credit growth and leverage, and explore macro-risk tools such as stress testing and early warning systems.
- Learn to interpret Financial Stability Reports (FSRs), communicate risks effectively, and apply composite indicators to monitor market vulnerabilities.
- Explore principles of good governance, transparency, and ethical integrity in central banking, and take part in a crisis scenario where participants draft a strategic press release during a reputational risk event.
- Dive into risk-based supervision, the Basel Core Principles, and oversight of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs), while addressing the evolving challenges of fintech, shadow banking, and cross-border risks.
- Gain practical insight into AML and KYC obligations, FATF recommendations, and the division of roles between central banks and other supervisory authorities.
- Understand the role of Supervisory Technologies (SupTech) in enhancing regulatory oversight, and evaluate how innovation is transforming supervisory practices, data collection, and compliance efficiency in modern financial systems.
- Understand how central bank mandates are evolving in response to sustainability, digitalisation, and societal expectations.
- Apply foresight tools and scenario analysis to enhance long-term strategic planning under conditions of uncertainty.
- Evaluate the implications of geopolitical trends and systemic risks on financial stability and central bank strategy.
- Assess global CBDC developments and understand design trade-offs, implementation strategies, and regulatory considerations.
- analyse the risks and policy implications of decentralised finance and cryptoassets for central banks and monetary control.
- Explore cross-border payment innovations, interoperability models, and insights from BIS and other international pilots.
- Examine how AI and automation are reshaping internal processes and decision-making within central banks.
- Strengthen knowledge of digital risk management, including cyber threats, AML/CFT compliance, and resilience frameworks.
- Design strategies to build institutional capabilities, attract digital talent, and future-proof central bank workforces.
Course dates
Feb 23, 2026 - Mar 4, 2026
Jun 29, 2026 - Jul 8, 2026
Oct 5, 2026 - Oct 14, 2026
Categories
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