tailor-made for Bermuda, Master's degree in Business Administration in risk management has created a groundswell of interest in other jurisdictions.

Word of the Bermuda programme, which will be run by the highly respected College of Insurance, has led to approaches from other countries, hoping the College will establish similar programmes in their domiciles.

The Bermuda advisory council had their inaugural meeting at the Romanoff restaurant yesterday.

Chaired by Mr. Thomas V.A. Kelsey, president and CEO of Bermuda-based reinsurer, School, College and University Underwriters (SCUUL) Ltd., the council met with College of Insurance president Dr. Ellen Thrower.

The council resolved to encourage the various firms to identify employees who could benefit from the programme, but who have not yet signed up. The council members also agreed that the firms will assist with reasonable tuition costs of $1,400 per course.

The New York-based college begins next month jetting top rated professors to Bermuda to conduct intensive study courses, under the administration of Mr.

Charles D. Edinger, executive vice president and assistant to the president.

The classes will be held at the Bermuda Insurance Institute.

But Mr. Edinger said others want to get on the bandwagon.

He said: "The design for the programme is something that people in other countries have seen. The information has drifted out from Bermuda. The response that we got from Canada is an example. They would like to have it tomorrow.'' Dr. Thrower added: "As other industry and education experts have seen the programme developed on paper, they like it so much, and they figure this is happening in Bermuda, so it must be excellent. They really want to copy the Bermuda model.'' Dr. Thrower said: "Our MBA is designed to meet the needs of a broad group here in Bermuda of financial services professionals. That includes lawyers, accountants, bankers and others who either are involved directly in, or are connected with insurance activities.

"This programme will be as useful in preparing professionals in other financial sectors, besides insurance. It is primarily designed for working professionals, although students who have an undergraduate degree and who are interested in an MBA can also sign up.

"A class that is mixed with those professionals together with insurance and captive experts and risk managers means that there is an awful lot of dynamics that will go on in that classroom. We do believe that it adds a very important qualitative dimension to this programme.'' The class will provide specialised education and training, as well as general business and leadership courses useful to a variety of professional areas.

Dr. Thrower said that there are three unique characteristics of the programme.

"One is that it is tailored for this industry in Bermuda. It is not a generic programme.

It's also in an executive format. Instead of requiring that you attend a course for an entire semester, you attend the equivalent in one week.

"If you wanted to take the basic graduate course in finance, you will attend the class from Wednesday through Sunday, all day. But you will get the equivalent of an entire semester, and you can do it with only three days out of your business. For busy working professionals it will be an ideal course.'' The first course, Marketing Management, begins on Friday June 23 to Tuesday June 27. Depending on demand, there will be one or two more courses offered during this calendar year, and ideally three or four during any full calendar year.

A working professional could actually complete three or four courses a year, part-time. The total programme is 51 credit hours, or 17 courses.

The third unique component is that prior educational knowledge is recognised.

A designation such as CA, CPCU, CPA, CEBS, CIS, could mean that up to four courses could be waived from the requirement.

The College of Insurance and the Bermuda Insurance Institute are taking steps to make the college's library, possibly the oldest and most extensive insurance library in the world, available to those studying in the Bermuda programme.