The new course comes at a time when Hong Kong has taken steps to raise its profile in areas such as family offices and wealth advice. It is doing so amid competition from centres such as Singapore, the UAE and Switzerland.

Sun Life Hong Kong has agreed with the Institute of Continuing and Professional Education of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong to launch a course on high net worth financial planning and family offices.

The rollout of the course comes at a time when Hong Kong is seeking to raise its game as a wealth management and family offices centre. The city-state's government has also been urged to improve competitiveness of the financial services sector.

The programme is called the “Course on the Frontier Knowledge of Contemporary HNWI Financial Planning Strategy and Family Office Practice.” Sun Life said this course breaks new ground for an insurance firm to work with a Hong Kong university. 

ICAPE will offer training courses to Sun Life Hong Kong this year, covering thousands of participants. The course is designed for professionals in the fields of insurance, wealth management and financial planning, as well as heads of families or family members. 

Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate jointly awarded by Sun Life Hong Kong and ICAPE.

Sun Life Hong Kong will also be able to leverage ICAPE’s and the Chinese Family Succession Research Centre’s academic research, data, and analysis on family offices and family legacy.