Twenty international and nine local students visited BNI Syariah as part of Indonesia International Week (IIW), a short-term cultural exchange for select young leaders from top universities organized by the Indonesian Student Association for International Studies (ISAFIS). BNI Syariah introduced the principles and development of sharia banking (a set of Islamic laws governing financial management) along with the innovative programs of the Hasanah Card as its continuously expanding product, before taking the students for a company tour. The participants responded enthusiastically as not only was BNI Syariah the only sharia bank involved in the program, but the concept is relatively novel – mortages and interest-bearing loans are not recognized by sharia law – and a potentially healthier alternative to conventional banking.
