Yunus Centre Opens at Turkey’s Okan University
Istanbul, Dec 17: "Muhammad Yunus International Centre for Microfinance and Social Business" was launched on Thursday 15 December,2011 at the Okan University in Istanbul, the first of its kind in Turkey. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, and, the President of Board of Trustees and the founder of Okan University Mr. Bekir Okan, Turkish Minister of Eurpean Union Affairs, Honorable Egemen Bağış, representing the President of Turkey, and the Minister of Family and Social Policies Minister honorable Fatma Sahin, representing the Prime minister of Turkey signed a charter on this occasion in a formal ceremony.
Dr. Ahmet Ertürk, senior Advisor to the President of Turkey, Former Minister of State HE Tayyibe Gülek, Former Minister of Turizim HE Bahattin Yücel, Member of the Turkish Parliament Dr. Alaattin Buyukkaya, Former Turkish parliamentarian and pioneer of the microcredit and the CEO of the Turkish Grameen Microcredit Program Prof. Dr. Aziz Akgul, Former Turkish parliamentarian and the Vice President of the Turkish Microcredit Program Mr. Nedim Ozturk and other dignitaries attended the MOU signing ceremony. Founder of Okan Univesity announced in the ceremony that he is donating US$2million to take care of the initial costs of the Center.
During the ceremony, the Turkish Prime Minister HE Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan sent a message to Professor Yunus offering all the hospitalities to hold the 2012 Global Social Business Summit in Turkey.
After the ceremony, Professor Yunus addressed the students, faculty members, NGO leaders, and dignitaries and explained the potential of social business. The Ministers present also spoke at the ceremony after Professor Yunus addressed the gathering.Okan University, one of the youngest universities of Turkey, was founded in 1999. The Yunus Center at Okan University will provide an independent and open platform for addressing development challenges faced by poor people in Asia. The Center aims to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development by promoting, developing and implementing social business ideas and projects.
The Center will conduct applied research in Social Business and Microfinance, and it will engage in efforts to disseminate the research in the academic as well as practitioner communities, especially involving young students and people.The Centre will promote and disseminate Professor Yunus' philosophy with a special focus on social business. Each year Professor Yunus will give a lecture on social business at the Centre. This partnership with the Okan University is expected to be a hub of research and practical applications as well as hands-on training for academics and researchers.
