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Yunus Social Business Centre at University of New South Wales

13 Oct, 2014

Fig: Yunus Social Business Centre at University of New South Wales

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Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus visited Australia between October 8, 2014 to October 11, 2014. Professor Yunus was invited as the Chief Guest at the 10th Annual Conference of the Bangladeshi Architects in Australia. This year’s conference theme was to ascertain ways of having a more socially responsible role for architects. The conference was held on October 9, 2014 at the Syndey Opera House. Speakers in the event included, honorable senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services. The senator read out a message from the Prime Minister of Australia, honorable Tony Abbott MP welcoming Professor Yunus to Australia and thanking him for his initiatives in eradicating poverty worldwide. The organizers also hosted a dinner in Canberra which was attended by Australian parliamentarians, ministers, diplomats, academics and professionals from the Bangladesh community.

During Professor Yunus visit to Sydney an announcement was made by University of New South Wales of the opening of Yunus Social Business Centre at the university. An MOU was signed between Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and Professor Les Field, Vice President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales to this effect. The centre will work on promoting the social business concept as well as its practice as a way to tackle social problems. While at UNSW, Professor Yunus participated at a round table discussion organized by Impact Investing Australia, Centre for Social Impact at UNSW.

On October 10, 2014, Professor Yunus addressed a corporate luncheon hosted by Grameen Australia and Asialink, a think tank of Melbourne University. This event was attended by four hundred guests comprising of representatives of major Australian Banks, namely Westpac, ANZ, Macquarie, UBS, Credit Suisse, leading group of Philanthropists from Australia, community groups , including the Sydney City Council, foreign affairs official and university students from around Sydney.

Nearly 400 corporate delegates, elected local dignitaries and others attended the luncheon.

Professor Yunus in his address pointed out that unemployment is a plague that is eating away the youth. With no fault of their own, the system, owing to its inconsistencies, is barring them from utilizing their entrepreneurial potential.

On October 11, 2014, Professor Muhammad Yunus travelled to Melbourne to give a public lecture organized by the Monash Business School at the Robert Blackwood Hall of Monash University.

Before the lecture the Chancellor of the university Dr Alan Simon Finkel hosted a lunch in honour of Professor Yunus at the Monash University House. The Chancellor elaborated the plan of the university to introduce social business courses and seminars in the university.

The public lecture, presided over by the Chancellor Dr. Finkel, was held at the Robert Blackwood Hall was attended by nearly a thousand people; many came from other cities in Australia.

Professor Yunus was later hosted by Peter Cooper, Managing Director and Chief Investment Manager at Cooper Investments and former Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Australia, and Peter Hunt Chairman, Greenhill & Co, at a private gathering of high net worth individuals. A leading Australian soprano Tania de Jong performed in honor of Professor Yunus before the Nobel Laureate took stage to speak on social business.

Electronic and print media extensively covered Professor Yunus's visit and highlighted his messages. Interviews with him were broadcast by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, SBS, and published in Sydney Morning Herald and other major media.

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Yunus Social Business Centre at University of New South Wales

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