Academics discuss educational aspects of social business
A group of national and international academics yesterday discussed educational aspects of social business in Dhaka as part of preparations for an upcoming social business academia conference.
The meeting took place at Yunus Centre, which promotes works and philosophies of Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.
About 120 faculty members from 30 universities around the world attended the meeting, according to a statement of Yunus Centre.
What started as an academia workshop session during the Global Social Business Summit (GSBS) in 2010 evolved into the academia meeting in 2011 and 2012, and finally into a full research conference on social business in 2013 and 2014.
Since 2015, the event is a sole academic conference.
The two-day GSBS Academia Conference on November 8 and 9 in Paris this year will bring together academics from all around the world who will present their papers and abstracts on social business.
Prof Cam Donaldson, chairman of the scientific committee of the academic conference and pro-vice chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University of Scotland, updated the audience about the conference.
Prof Yunus, who chaired the discussion, said quality of research was important as those could be used in classrooms as well as for future research.
He congratulated the seven new Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBC) in seven universities in China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Palestine, Mexico and Hong Kong.
Four breakout sessions took place on topics such as designing academic curriculum, research, mobilising funds to fund research and scholarships for YSBCs.
Chien-wen Shen, a professor of National Central University, Taiwan, China, moderated the session on designing academic curriculum. Summing up, he called for designing a uniform curriculum.
In response, Prof Yunus suggested writing books with a lot pictures and examples so children as well as high school students can easily understand social business.
Prof Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of Primeasia University of Bangladesh, said serious research was required to separate social business from social enterprises and NGOs as some students get confused.
Responding to this, Yunus said: “People can choose whatever they want to do. But when they choose social business they should understand it.”
Prof Faiz Shah, a professor of AIT Thailand, said a research fund could be set up to finance research on social business.
However, Yunus said social businesses should not worry about funds, rather they should worry about the design.
“If social business can solve problems beyond anybody's doubt, many will come forward and invest.”
The economist said universities should design courses in a way so that their students can become successful entrepreneurs after they graduate.
Hans Reitz, head of GSBS, informed the audience about the summit, which will be held from November 4 to 9 at the Cité University of Paris.
Anne W Bunde-Birouste, senior lecturer of the University of New South Wales in Australia; Lamiya Morshed, executive director of Yunus Centre; Zhao Meng, a professor of Renmin University of China, and Ashir Ahmed, an associate professor of Kyushu University in Japan, also spoke.