MKU commits to support ideas generated
from Yunus global business conference
By James Wakahiu
Mount Kenya
University (MKU) has re-affirmed its support to social business generated
from the 10th
Social Business Academic Conference (SBAC) hosted by the university in
collaboration with Yunus Centre last week.
The in-person and
virtual interdisciplinary meeting attracted researchers, academics, and
students from around the globe to discuss academic papers, practitioner cases,
and concept notes on innovative ideas on any issues related to social
business. The seminar was hosted by MKU’s School
of Business and Economics and Graduate Enterprise Academy under the theme: “Planting the
seeds towards a new economy”.
The conference was officially
opened by Nobel Laureate, Prof Mohammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker,
economist and civil society leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for
founding the Grameen Bank and pioneering the concepts of microcredit and
microfinance.
Closing the ceremony, MKU
Pro-Chancellor who is also Vice-chairman of the Council, Dr. Vincent Gaitho
said the Covid-19 pandemic has taught the world that “we are one”. “The world
today is faced with disasters and extinction of species,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor
decried Africa’s continuous position on the lower floor of economic, social and
political developments. “For instance, as pointed out by other speakers here,
the level of vaccination in Africa World remains very low. Africa’s level of
food security is also low,” he noted.
However, he noted, the
flip side of the disruption by the pandemic is a wake-up call to establish
regional supply systems that are more participatory and sustainable. “If we
cared for each other, the world would be a better place,” he said.
Dr Gaitho said today’s arbitrary
political boundaries have no meaning. “Whatever happens in any one part of the
world affects a poor family in the remotest corner of Africa, through for
example pollution which impacts on climate change,” he said.
Additionally, he asked,
can the present economic systems help us with current social, economic and
political challenges? “We need to
rethink the systems that we are using. Climate change, the pandemic and changes
in technology demand that we change our systems,” he added.
MKU has started a
campaign to have the 3 Zero
clubs at all its’ campuses
as well as at the local communities. The
institution has already established a Yunus Social Business Centre in
collaboration with Prof Muhammad Yunus and his global Yunus Social Business
Centre Network in achieving a world of three zeroes.
Dr Gaitho said the three
zero concept resonates well with the MKU new status as one of the global hubs
for tackling social economic inequalities under the United Nations Academic
Impact project. The UN said it had bestowed the status on the university for
its research work on reducing inequalities in Kenya as well as the East African
region. Development Goals. UNAI designates institutions as hubs for their
initiatives in promoting UN’s Sustainable.
“We appreciate the
opportunity to host such a crucial summit in the developing world. Our students
and faculty members have had a wonderful learning experience. We recommit to
support the ideas generated from the conference,” said the Pro Chancellor.
This year’s meeting was focused on the
academic curriculum on social business and research opportunities with a
special focus on the East African region. The forum entailed paper
presentations from academicians from all over the world.
The main presentations
focused on introduction to Yunus, activities and values as it relates to the Africa
region as well as Yunus academic and social entrepreneurship programmes.
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