Ashoka University, the pioneers in liberal Arts and Sciences Education based in Sonepat, Haryana, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yunus Social Business India Centre, a research hub for social business, creating successful entrepreneurs in India. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and Ashoka University’s Pro vice chancellor, Sankar Krishnan finalised the partnership which is also in collaboration with HEC Paris, an international business school established in 1881.
The MoU is aimed at developing and expanding a framework of cooperation between Yunus Centre and Ashoka University to promote professor Muhammad Yunus’s vision of alleviating poverty by implementing the concept of Social Business. Yunus Social Business (YSB) is a non-profit venture fund that turns philanthropic donations into investments in sustainable social businesses
Prof Yunus, who has pioneered the concepts of microcredit and microfinance, also visited the campus to address students about the various facets of Social entrepreneurship in the context of his book A World of Three Zeroes. He said: “Every social problem is an entrepreneurial problem. It is these students who are the entrepreneurs of the future and we need to nurture them in every possible way. For the growth of future entrepreneurs Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC) and Ashoka University will organise student exchange and learning visits, so that the students can learn first-hand techniques and programs which have been set up to assist the economic development of the poor in developing countries.”
Both entities intent to promote via mutual understanding and co-operation in areas of common interest in education, research, information gathering and action plans so as to depend and understanding of each other’s cultures and values that drive business and social changes. One of the goals which will be accomplished through this also includes organising student exchange and learning visits.