University of Basilicata in South Italy establishes 60th Yunus Social Business Centre
DHAKA, Sept. 12 (NsNewsWire) — University of Basilicata in South Italy has recently established the 60th Yunus Social Business Centre.
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus during his visit to Matera signed the MoU with the University of Basilicata in the ancient city of Matera located at the southernmost part of Italy. Professor Yunus is in Italy for meetings the leaders of Five Star Movement party which won the majority seats in the Parliament. Five Star Movement party during the election campaigned that they will follow the policies and actions promoted by Professor Yunus.
One of the prime aims of the YSBC of Basilicata University is to tackle unemployment especially among the youth by implementing models of social business.
Professor Yunus signed the MoU with the University of Basilicata in the ancient city of Matera located in the Basilicata region in the southernmost part of Italy. The city of Matera has a historical significance as it is more than 5,000 years old, settled in the Palaeothilic age, and is the second oldest city in the world after Aleppo. Established in 1982, the University of Basilicata is located in both Potenza, capital city of Basilicata, and Matera. It is well known for being a Public Research University. By joining the YSBC community it becomes the 3rd YSBC established in Italy after University of Florence and University of Bologna. Italy has also established a Social Business City in Pistoia.
A Yunus Social Business Centre is essentially a research hub and engages the faculty and student body of universities as well as the community to incubate and establish a social business that addresses a pressing problems in that society, following the principles of Professor Yunus. YSBCs work as a network with support from Yunus Centre in Bangladesh.
Professor Yunus addressed a gathering of leading citizens of the City of Matera, leaders of all political parties, Mayor and Councilors of the city as well as faculty members and students of the university.
Minister of Finance of Basilicata came from the capital city of Potenza to meet Professor Yunus to request him to start a program to transform the unemployed youth of Basilicata into entrepreneurs. Basilicata has over forty percent youth unemployment. He wants to propose collaboration with Yunus Centre in his next budget speech, he said.
Matera has been selected by European Union as the Cultural Capital of EU for 2019. “Matera 2019 ” has been formed by the city of Matera to celebrate the year. President of “Matera 2019” proposed to hold a Social Business Conference at the ministerial level for all Mediterranean countries. He sought support from Yunus Centre to make this possible and get commitment to social business from all Mediterranean countries. His organization took the responsibility to prepare the concept paper. Press Release