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 in the southernmost part of Italy, said a press release of Yunus Centre in Bangladesh. 

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, the release also reads.

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.

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. 

Professor Yunus is in Italy for meetings with the leaders of Five Star Movement party which won the majority seats in Parliament. Five Star Movement party during the election campaigned that they will follow the policies and actions promoted by Professor Yunus.

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.

Professor Muhammad Yunus getting presented with a toke of appreciation from Aurelia Sole the Rector of the University of Basilicata.
 
A Yunus Social Business Centre is essentially a research hub and engages the faculty and student bodies of universities as well as the community to incubate and establish a social business that addresses pressing problems in that society, following the principles of Professor Yunus. YSBCs work as a network with support from Yunus Centre in Bangladesh.