International Social Business Summer Program
1-10 July, 2018
Dhaka, Bangladesh

The International Social Business Summer Program 2018 (ISBSP) was held from 1- 10 July, 2018 in the lush green campus of Daffodil International University (DIU) with the motto
“Social Business Entrepreneurs for Better World”.
Young minds from 16 different countries including Switzerland, Greece, France, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, China, Somalia, Nigeria, Nepal and of course, Bangladesh came together to learn how to solve world's most pressing issues by using the power of business.

Visit to the Yunus Centre and Meeting with Professor Muhammad Yunus

"Humans are creative beings, but our education system does not allow people to fully unleash that creativity because it prepares young people merely to be job-ready. Education should be redesigned to make people life-ready, not just job-ready."
– Professor Muhammad Yunus at a meeting with international students of International Social Business Summer Program 2018.
A highlight of ISBSP was the opportunity to have a meeting session with Professor Yunus on the topic of social business. Professor Yunus encouraged participants to identify their own ways of contributing to society. Participants found it very thought-provoking and also engaged in some questions and dialogues directly with Professor Yunus.

Lastly, Professor Yunus personally congratulated the participants with the distribution of certificates to mark this milestone of exploring social business and Bangladesh

Field Visit: Grameen Industrial Park, Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN)

As Bangladesh is known for its garment industry, the participants had a first-hand experience of visiting the Grameen Industrial Park to witness the social business production of Softy women’s sanitary napkins and knitwear production. Grameen also manufactures “Ashchorjo mosquito nets”, also another social business initiative. Participants also tried the famous social business yogurt product of Grameen Danone Foods – “shokti doi” – at the Industrial Park. Participants visited Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN), where insights were shared on how the College trains young girls of the Grameen family to prepare them to become nurses.

"Social Entreprenureship in Mind" with
Chairman Md. Sabur Khan

Participants were welcomed by Md. Md Sabur Khan, Honorable Chairman of DIU to a dinner and an inspiring session about social entrepreneurship at the Kurmitola Golf Club. He shared his professional experiences as a renowned entrepreneur of the country and encouraged to work for own community to create more social impact

Out in Dhaka

From riding rickshaws to shopping at street markets, from visiting Dhaka University with its beautiful architecture to learning about Bangladesh‘s Independence at the National Martyrs‘ Memorial, participants soaked up the cultural and historical essence of this hectic and exciting city called Dhaka.

Life at the Green Campus, DIU

The warm hospitality from the staff and the students there greeted the participants to create a feeling of home. This was where everyone shared joy from the traditional fruit fest, outdoor sports, a treasure hunt, and rooftop parties! Participants also had time to experience local students‘ life, such as playing football together, drawing henna, even watching the World Cup in the auditorium‘s big screen!

Sylhet Excursion- Journey to the city of Tea!

A weekend excursion to Sreemangal, Sylhet allowed an escape from the hustle and bustle of the intense ISBSP. Participants had some time to relax in the natural beauty of the Sreemangal Tea Gardens, Tea Resort and Museum, Madhabpur Lake that was adorned with Bangladesh‘s national flower: beautiful water lilies! It was a once in a lifetime chance to see the wonders of the ethnic minorities groups of Bangladesh hidden deep in the forest, Alichara Khasis Punji village.

The first day of session was a warm-up for the participants, with Dr. Yousuf Mahbubul Islam, Vice Chancellor of DIU and Mr. K.M. Hasan Ripon, Advisor of Bangladesh Skill Development Institute. To get everyone’s minds working, the sessions focused on how to “think”. The lectures and interactive exercises allowed participants to work together and learn to brainstorm as a team.

Welcoming Mr. M. Shahjahan, former Managing Director of Grameen Bank and Professor H.I. Latifee, former Managing Director of Grameen Trust, both of which are Advisors to Chairman Professor Yunus at the Yunus Centre. They introduced to the participants the fundamentals of social business and explained how the “7 Principles of Social Business” are implemented in the Grameen Social Businesses.

Mr. Abu Taher Khan, Director of DIU’s Career Development Center, came in to share more insights of social business, which included the different types of social business, its benefits and its difficulties and how to stay motivational as a social entrepreneur to overcome hurdles.

With Ms. Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Centre and Ms. Parveen Mahmud, Managing Director of Grameen Telecom Trust, participants learned in depth about how Grameen initiatives are fostering the youth in Bangladesh to kick-start their own social businesses.

Social Business Design Lab and Pitching Session

Participants were guided in a daylong session on how to use the “Business Model Canvas” to pitch how to create a social business plan. They learned to identify customer segments and key activities, used the SWOT analysis, and covered the financial aspects of a business. The winning team was from Nepal, who presented their business idea “H2H – Transforming Houses into Homestays.” The runner-up team proposed social business idea Siempre - installing solar panels in the rural areas of Guatemala.

To wrap up ISBSP 2018, participants dressed up in their traditional clothing and joined for the closing ceremony, a grand group dinner and cultural night performances of both DIU students and international participants.

ISBSP 2018 came to an end with some heartfelt speeches from participants to express their greatest memories and thoughts, as well as with inspiring encouragement from distinguished guests. It might be the end of the program, but the participants carried their new friendships and knowledge to start their path towards an influential future!

International Social Business Summer Program1-10 July, 2018Dhaka, Bangladesh