Detailed Information on Internship Programme
About Yunus Centre and Grameen Social Business
Since October 2006, when Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize, local and international interest in Professor Yunus' work has continuously increased. In order to address this ever-growing attention, an organization aimed primarily at promoting and disseminating Professor Yunus' philosophy, with a special focus on social business, was created in the form of the Yunus Secretariat. In July 2008, the Yunus Secretariat was renamed the Yunus Centre. The Yunus Centre has since been the one-stop resource centre for all Grameen social business related activities both globally and in Bangladesh. It keeps the spirit of the global social business movement high through various events, social media, publications, and websites. The Yunus Centre also helps forge lasting productive relationships among all social business institutions around the world. The Centre is chaired by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and its Executive Director is Ms. Lamiya Morshed.
Professor Yunus has long been promoting the creation of Grameen social businesses, which he believes will address the problems still left unsolved in the world and not addressed within the present capitalist system. In simple terms, a Grameen social business a non-loss, non-dividend company dedicated entirely to achieve a social goal. In social business, the investor gets his/her investment money back over time, but never receives dividend beyond that amount. The Grameen Bank is a prime example of social business, with poor people being its shareholders! The ultimate goal of the Yunus Centre is to create poverty museums, after bringing an end to poverty in each area --- in villages, cities, counties, provinces, and countries. The Centre strives to engage individuals and organizations in creating, promoting, and maintaining social business by spreading the concept through workshops, internships, projects etc.
The Goals of Internship Programme
The Yunus Centre's ambition is to become a global centre of excellence for social business incubation. It will be a laboratory for research and development of social business ideas.
The Yunus Centre Internship Program has the potential to be sought out by the world's leading students, academics, businessmen, and scientists who have demonstrated leadership skills in their chosen field or have an entrepreneurial background and who share an interest in social business as an investment for the future.
It is extremely important that the design and implementation of this program adheres to a structured, standardized, and organized system in order to attract great minds, and to then successfully keep them within the Yunus Centre family. Applicants hoping to work alongside their like-minded peers to forge lasting relationships based on the ideas behind social business will discover the Internship Program at Yunus Centre to be the vehicle and environment that allows them to do so.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Yunus Centre is dedicated to promoting Professor Muhammad Yunus' vision of a poverty free world including the furthering of microcredit and creation of social business. The Social Business Department offer intern an exceptional opportunity to experience the dynamics of the development of social business and cultivate profound understanding towards social business, by working with the contemporary business entities on social business.
Upon arrival, all interns will have the opportunity to participate on a 5 day village exposure trip to broaden their experience and to learn about the philosophy and operational procedures of Grameen Bank, as well as the impact of Grameen on the economic and cultural life of borrowers and Bangladesh. Interns will also have the chance to visit Grameen's affiliated sister companies and social businesses.
Internships in specific sectors of the Yunus Centre are described in more details in pages 5-8.
Knowledge and Skills
Demonstrated interest in, and a passion for the issues surrounding social business, microfinance, poverty reduction and the Yunus Centre's various projects.
- Strong work ethic and ability to work independently, as well as a part of a team, with the ability to meet deadlines.
- Good understanding of modern global business environment is an asset.
- Experience working in an office environment, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and Internet Applications.
- Proficiency in English essential, knowledge of Bangla an asset.
- Pays attention to detail and shows the ability to meet deadlines.
Additional Information
The internship less than three months is unpaid. The intern will be required to maintain a regular schedule of the local 10am-6pm, Sunday-Thursday office hours and to submit a report to their supervisor upon completion of their internship.
Application instructions
Interested candidates should write to internship@yunuscentre.org. There is no application deadline as interns are accepted all throughout the year. Successful interns will be contacted upon processing their applications.
Internship Program Structure
