Abstract

The Cambridge Tax Discussion Group is delighted to have Dr Yassar Nasser, from the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, as its next speaker. Dr Nasser will start by introducing the basics of Islamic Finance and how financial transactions ought to be conducted. After a brief comparison between traditional and Islamic financial systems, Dr Nasser’s presentation will move on to introduce the concept of wealth and related taxes within an Islamic economy (Zakat and others). Dr Nasser will then conclude by considering the major challenges facing tax collection and the open questions on how to address the multitude of tax layers in this system. Dr Yassar Nasser is an international executive and academic with a track record in established and emerging markets. His international career involved senior and board positions at major universal banks, commercial enterprises, and universities around the world. Yassar holds a Doctorate in Monetary Economics from Cranfield University and an MBA from the University of Cambridge (with a final dissertation on Islamic Finance). He works with the Centre for Alternative Finance and teaches on the Master of Finance Programme at Judge Business School. Yassar joined the Competitiveness Institute at Harvard in 2017 with a focus on strategic competitiveness for firms and nations. Yassar’s research interests and publications are in the areas of Strategy of Competitiveness, Clusters, Monetary & Financial Economics, and Strategic Finance.