A day-long business summit was held in Melbourne on Saturday to connect South Asian entrepreneurs with Australian entrepreneurs to promote innovation in digital economy, exchange of knowledge and partnership, organisers said in a statement. More than 300 successful entrepreneurs attended the summit held at the Crown Conference Hall in Melbourne, it said. It said the main aim of the summit was to help emerging and existing entrepreneurs by bringing together both Australia-based and global leaders, decision makers, global industrialists from major sectors like education, health and wellbeing, digital technology, real estate and property investment.

Islami Bank Training and Research Academy (IBTRA) Chattogram recently conducted a month-long entrepreneurship development training programme. Twenty-five entrepreneurs received certificates for completing the training. Also read: IBTRA 194th internship programme closing ceremony held Arif Hossain Khan, director of the Bangladesh Bank Chattogram office, was present at the closing ceremony of the programme as chief guest. SM Rabiul Hassan, principal of IBTRA, presided over it. Meah Md Barkat Ullah, head of IBBL Chattogram South Zone, Mohammad Nurul Hossain, head of Chattogram North Zone, and Mohammad Ataul Hoque Sirazee, head of IBTRA Chattogram office, also spoke at the programme. Read IBTRA organises workshop on challenges of 4IR

Professor Muhammad Mahboob Ali, coordinator, department of entrepreneurship economics, Dhaka School of Economics, has been honored for his outstanding contribution of creating new entrepreneurs. The daily global nation awarded prof Ali recently for his continuing efforts to inspire youth to become entrepreneurs. READ: Women entrepreneurs ‘struggling to survive’ in aftermath of pandemic Prof Ali has been serving as the head of entrepreneurial economics department. He completed postdoctoral (Entrepreneurship, Thailand), PhD (Macroeconomics), MPhil (Financial Economics), MCom (India), MCA, MSS, BSS (Honours-Economics). Prof Ali is the only person in Bangladesh who did post Doctorate in Entrepreneurial Management. Expressing his feelings to UNB, Prof Ali said that he tried to create Entrepreneurial Education. “I first introduced Bachelor of Entrepreneurial Economics education, Post graduate diploma in Enterprise Development, Master of Entrepreneurship Economics in Dhaka School of Economics,” he said. READ: How Bangladesh Bank is encouraging more women to become entrepreneurs He also works as the first coordinator of undergraduate programmes in a private university. Prof Ali received an award from Global Entrepreneurship Grid from India for spreading Entrepreneurship education in Bangladesh.

The idea of social entrepreneurship has been around for decades. However, it has emerged as a powerful tool for change in the past decade. Many social entrepreneurs give their time to make the world better for future generations, but how can they contribute to society? This article will explore some ways of social entrepreneurship that can promote positive change for society and highlight some leading examples of successful enterprises. What is Social Entrepreneurship? Social entrepreneurship is the application of business tools and entrepreneurial skills to achieve social change. Where traditional entrepreneurs want to sell a product, create employment or make profits, social entrepreneurs also pursue some form of social benefit in addition to financial return. However, social entrepreneurship can also be not for profit.  Further, it is an innovative way to balance work and life and has been identified as a driver for sustainable development. Social entrepreneurs are individuals or teams that have come together with the common goal of not only generating profit but also creating positive impacts for people within their community. Moreover, it focuses on the double bottom line for both businesses' profits and improvements in society, communities, markets, health care, education systems, civic life, etc. Ultimately, social entrepreneurs innovate across different types of organizations through systems that change the lens in order to improve the way society functions. Read Sohopathi: An Emerging Online Education Platform in Bangladesh Although Bill Drayton is considered one of the pioneers of social entrepreneurship, it was originally advocated by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. How can social entrepreneurship create impacts on society? Social entrepreneurship is running a business with the main aim to solve certain social problems. Hence, it can positively impact society in various ways, such as an increase in employment rate, better distribution of wealth and income, reducing poverty, hunger, disease, etc. Millions of people can get employed through social business, and this includes health care services, educational institutions, arts & crafts marketplaces, and so on. The increase in employment increases economic growth, which ultimately improves the standard of living to a greater extent. Read Brand Ambassadors: Who Are They and What Do They Do? Further, social entrepreneurship makes sure that it helps people from all economic classes like poor, middle class, and rich. This nature of social entrepreneurship ensures not only equality but also spreads benefits among the different groups in the society. The businesses run by social entrepreneurs do not make large profits as they are there to fulfill certain necessities and offer services at very low costs, if not for free.  Eventually, social entrepreneurship encourages innovation which results in minimizing poverty as well as diseases such as those caused by unclean drinking water, lack of sanitation facilities, and other factors. Social entrepreneurs try to attain this aim through research and development in order to provide quality food, clothes, and shelter for all. Despite having all those benefits, social business has some drawbacks too. It doesn't fix the structural issues of society. Moreover, this kind of business aims to reform society instead of transforming it. Most of the time, media, investors, and influencers appreciate for-profit social entrepreneurship.  Read Cosmetics and Toiletries Brands, and Companies in Bangladesh: An Overview Some bright examples of social entrepreneurship ventures  With an ever-growing concern for social and environmental responsibility, it's no wonder that we are seeing such a rise in the number of entrepreneurs who are setting up companies to make a difference. Rather than solely focusing on making money, these social entrepreneurs are adamant about spreading awareness and doing their part to be good stewards of the environment. Following are some of the bright examples of social businesses that aim to change society. Toms TOMS Shoes was founded by Blake Mycoskie, who witnessed first-hand the struggles of children without shoes while he was on a trip to Argentina. He started his company with the intention that for every pair sold, they would donate one shoe, and fund other initiatives such as eyewear or water programs in developing countries where poverty is rampant but resources are few. Read Furniture Brands and Companies in Bangladesh: An Overview To date, the company donated more than 60 million pairs of shoes helped to restore eyesight to more than 400,000 people. Furthermore, they also provided more than 355,000 weeks of safe water. Grameen Bank Another organization that has become a synonym of social business is Grameen Bank, founded by Muhammad Yunus. The Grameen Bank has been working as a poverty-fighting bank. Dr. Yunus founded it in 1983 with a simple mission: to provide small loans for those living below the poverty line so that they could become self-sufficient members of society. It has a mission statement of providing financial services for those who need it most at little cost or risk involved. This institution has come into being as one with no requirements other than honesty from borrowers. It simply makes small loans without ever having asked for security beforehand! However, the plan may seem unrealistic, but Grameen Bank has been successful. 90% of the borrowers are female who are working to become self-sufficient. Read Baby Food Brands in Bangladesh: An Overview Charity: water Scott Harrison is the founder of the nonprofit organization Charity: Water, which he founded after returning from Liberia with an experience that had humbled him. He wanted to dedicate his life not only towards working in humanitarian aid but also to bringing clean water access for everyone worldwide! The organization, charity: water, has funded around 25,000 projects and is currently operating in 24 countries. Together, the projects provide fresh water to more than 7 million people while also using all profits for future or current project development. Seventh Generation Inc. Jeffrey Hollender, the founder of Seventh Generation, is an example of how a socially responsible company can grow. The company produces eco-friendly household cleaning products that are free of harsh chemicals. He started this company with one goal: to provide people with environmentally friendly household cleaners without harming their health or Earth's natural resources. Not only did they develop new formulas made entirely out of eco-friendly sources, but they also decided to donate 10% profits from sales back into society! Read Best Banks for Student Credit Card in Bangladesh Conclusion Social entrepreneurship has helped an incredible number of people in different parts of the world. If more such social entrepreneurs take initiatives, it will certainly lead humanity towards a better place. 

More often than not, the story of entrepreneurship is associated with young people. It’s like a dream story of a fresh mind finding a magic idea that transforms the world around for the better. But how much of that has to be the case always? Truth is, there are numerous examples of people finding success late in life. Some even go beyond to outshine so much that they achieve almost legendary status. Here’s our take on 10 business icons who started late in life. These heroic people defined that age as nothing more than just a number. Legendary entrepreneurs who started after 35 Ray Kroc The word fast food and McDonalds goes so much hand in hand that in some parts of the world, they are almost inseparable. As the global leader in the fast-food chain, McDonald’s has brought a paradigm shift in the food culture across the globe. But the story of McDonald’s didn’t start until Ray Kroc was 51 years old. From being a mixer salesman to founding a multi-billion-dollar food chain, it all started with Ray Kroc’s fascination with the McDonalds brother’s burgers. Kroc saw an immense opportunity in the California-based business. Using his several decades of sales expertise, Kroc turned McDonald's into what it is today. A global brand of 400,000 employees, an annual turnover of over 22 billion, and a name that’s close to every foodie's heart. Read Some Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh in Diverse Sectors Reid Hoffman The story of Reid Hoffman is of a chance entrepreneur. Being a Stanford graduate, he was well set to be an academician of Ivy league standards. However, he ended up at Apple computers as part of their eWorld project. This is where Hoffman first got an insight into the earliest version of social media. But he had to wait till 35 to achieve what he has created today. Over the years, Hoffman worked on several social networking ventures. However, none of them saw the expected result. But based on his previous failures and a chance need for a professional networking opportunity, LinkedIn was born. Today Reid Hoffman is worth 3.2 billion dollars. Read The World's 10 Self-made Youngest Billionaires in 2021 Stan Lee Anyone who’s into movies has heard of Marvels. You don’t even have to be a movie fan to know about them, as they are one of the largest comic booksellers in the world. And it all started with the illustrations of a 39-year-old man back in 1961. Stan Lee, together with Jack Kirby has created, what is now the epicenter of pop culture and superhero genre craze. Credited as the father of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee helped create a multi-billion-dollar empire that has achieved worldwide hype and recognition. Read Mukesh Ambani no longer among world's top 10 richest billionaires Chaleo Yoovidhya We can guarantee you that this is the least known name on this list. But wait till you find out what he founded. Chaleo Yoovidhya was born in a poor farmer family and lived most of his life as a farmer. This was until he moved to Bangkok to start his own pharmaceutical company called TC Pharmaceuticals. He specialized in a rejuvenating tonic drink. It wasn’t until he had a chance encounter with Australian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz that his life changed forever at the age of 61. Now you might be thinking what’s so fascinating about a tonic drink? Well, that’s because it's Redbull. Read  IT sector creating more billionaires in China: report Henry Ford Ford motors are known for their iconic cars which have impressed generations of customers. However, the start of the company wasn’t how you’d expect it to be. Henry Ford ran away from home at the tender age of 16 and started working as a mechanist. His fascination with cars leads him to found Ford motors at the age of 40. What soon followed was automobile history. It was estimated that he had a net worth of near 200 billion dollars. Read COVID-19 Enterprise Response Fund  launched for entrepreneurs Peter Thiel Peter Thiel is another genius mind to come out of Stanford University. A graduate of law, Thiel didn’t enjoy much the legal works as he did as an investor. It's his innate passion and foresight in investing that made him into what he is today. He was the co-founder of widely acclaimed payment gateway Paypal and served as its CEO until it was sold in 2002 to eBay. But his genius stroke was yet to be made until he invested in Facebook. Thiel is widely regarded as the first professional investor to invest in Facebook, a move that made him a billionaire over time. Read F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak Jack Ma Jack Ma is the leading example that you don’t have to be tech-savvy to make it big as an entrepreneur. The story of Ma is a truly fascinating one, considering he failed his high school entrance exam twice and got rejected for different jobs over 30 times. It wasn’t until he was 35 when he founded “China Yellow Pages”, which saw rapid success. However, that’s not where Ma’s story ends. He then went onto finding Alibaba, the global leader in B2B and B2C sales. Ma is currently worth over 28 billion dollars. Read KOICA unveils multi-component cooperation aimed at youth entrepreneurship Robert Noyce Robert Noyce is another glaring example of a lesser-known founder of something so well known; it will have you rubbing your eyes. If you are reading this article from a windows laptop, it's almost certain that it's powered by Intel. And Robert Noyce was an intricate part of the foundation of Intel. Coming from a humble background, Noyce worked on several ventures before stumbling upon Intel. He was 41 years old when he, along with Gordon Moore founded Intel back in 1968. He was estimated to be worth over 3.8 billion dollars. Read Humayun bats for women entrepreneurs at SME Foundation event Donald Fisher The story of Donald Fisher is an interesting one. It was the summer of 69 when Donald went through a little clothing crisis of not being able to find a pair of jeans to fit him. His wife Doris Fischer reluctantly decided to take the matter into her own hands and made a pair for her husband. What followed from there on was a complete takeover of the fashion market and GAP became what it is today, a multi-billion-dollar fashion line. Donald was 40 when he decided to start GAP along with his wife as the co-founder. Read Covid: A catalyst for women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh! Harland David Sanders Most prominently known as Colonel Sanders, this man had nothing to do with the military. What he did, however, shaped the modern food industry alongside McDonald’s. After a series of misfortunes, Sanders found himself selling fried chicken in a service store in Kentucky using a secret recipe that he devised himself. After the place burned down in a fire accident, Sanders moved to a nearby motel to start his restaurant. And that was how the global brand of KFC was born. Today they serve in over 18 thousand restaurants across 118 different countries. What's truly fascinating about all this is that Colonel Sanders was 62 years old when he founded KFC. A true example of glorious late achievements. Read Energy Investment: Entrepreneurs want arrangements for easier partnership with foreign companies Bottom Line So far, we have mentioned some highly successful people who started their business or company late in life. These entrepreneurs are the shining example that you don’t need much beyond will and dedication to make it big. So, if you are thinking of giving up on your ideas, think again. Who knows, you might also become a late-blooming success story. Read Greatest Business Movies for Entrepreneurs: Inspiration to Start Something New

The idea of running your own business may seem lucrative for many. In recent times, there has been a surge of people who want to move away from the traditional 9 to 5 jobs to become their own boss. This is a welcoming idea that helps to drive personal as well as economic development. However, to become your own boss means to become a successful entrepreneur, you need to have a market-disrupting idea that will change how business is done. The paradigm shift is what will drive your entrepreneurial venture. However, some people think they have that idea but in reality, they’re simply following a proven and established business model, people known as wantrepreneurs. Are You an Entrepreneur or Wantrepreneur? Let's know the key differences between an entrepreneur and a wantrepreneur. Business-centric Vs Self Centric To an entrepreneur, the business is of the highest priority. An entrepreneur understands that the success of a business isn’t about themselves, rather it is the combined effort of the employees and other stakeholders. In short, an entrepreneur doesn’t make the business about themselves rather works in correlation with others. This is where a wantrepreneur is different. They make everything about themselves and think that the entire business prospect revolves around them, not to mention the micromanaging tendencies which not only disrupt the business process but also disrupts the free working condition of the employees. Read The World's 10 Self-made Youngest Billionaires in 2021 Working Vs Whining There are doers and there are whiners. And wantrepreneurs tend to fall into the whiners' list. An entrepreneur is a person that drives change. They strive to make things better no matter what the obstacles. Rather than pondering over constraints, an entrepreneur will find ways to move past them and work for growth. But the same isn’t true for wantrepreneurs, they tend to complain about micro issues and blames everything on others. This hampers the overall growth mentality of the organization and dries down performance. Motivated Vs Demotivated It's nothing new that an entrepreneurial venture comes with its own set of risks. There is no easy way to climb the ladder of entrepreneurship and truth be told, there will be a lot of setbacks. But these setbacks work as a motivation for the entrepreneurs to do better and find solutions to the setbacks. But a wantrepreneur tends to get discouraged easily. The lack of self-conviction makes them fearful of their action and minor setback discourages them from taking any risks. Also read: Top Baby Products based eCommerce Sites in Bangladesh Being Best Vs Being Rich An entrepreneur isn’t focused on personal development alone, rather to them the growth of the company, as well as the employees, matters the most. A successful entrepreneur leads by example which becomes ideal for the employees. A motivated leader in turn helps to motivate the subordinates to make sure they are performing at their level best. Profit doesn’t act as a central margin and this is what distinguishes a successful entrepreneur. However, for a wantrepreneur, it's all about money. All they care about is how to make more money regardless of the means. This strains the employee-employer relationship and the overall development of the company takes a back seat. Needless to say, there are no future growth opportunities for such a mindset. Business Growth Vs Image Growth Business growth is the central focus point for any entrepreneur. For an entrepreneur, the journey is of constant self-development as well as business development. The primary focus should always be on the overall growth of the company. But for a wantrepreneur, things are different. To them, personal branding and image take the front seat. They fail to understand that there is no such thing as overnight success. Whereas an entrepreneur would stay true to their conviction regardless of what people are saying, a wantrepreneur would rather be conscious about what people are saying and put those before the growth of the business. Read The 7 Most Promising Tech Startups in Bangladesh  Striving Vs Waiting The basic idea behind entrepreneurship is self-dependence. Here you are working with an idea to realize your vision. Sure enough, it won't be a cakewalk and you will face a lot of troubles and struggles. The idea here is to persevere and strive to get what you don’t have today. That is how you lead by example and initiate a growth mentality in your subordinates. However, a wantrepreneur would rather just wait for the issue to resolve on its own, or wait for someone to step up and solve it for them. Needless to say, this is just an example of organizational bad practice and something that will affect the business in the long run. Adapting Vs Staying Adamant The scope of business and business prospects are ever dynamic. There are always some factors that might force the business to take a new direction. Popular ride-sharing app of Bangladesh, Pathao as a startup had to remodel their business strategy five times before they stumbled onto something that works. As an entrepreneur, you need to have that mentality to adapt yourself to the changing environment. This will not only help you to better manage your business but ensure that you bring the best out of your idea. A wantrepreneur however would stay stuck on the idea of whether it works or not. Read The Difference Between a Startup and a Small Business Innovation Vs Procrastination This is tailing onto the previous point that we mentioned. Whereas as an entrepreneur you have to prepare yourself for an ever-changing business landscape, a wantrepreneur doesn’t do that. The driving factor behind any change in a company is its innovation. You as an entrepreneur have to come up with ideas that will assist the growth of your business. A wantrepreneur would rather stick to an established business model regardless of whether it works out or not. We don’t need to tell what the consequence of procrastination is in entrepreneurship. You can pretty much guess where the business is heading. Bottom Line As the idea of entrepreneurship becomes more and more popular, everyone can claim to be one nowadays. However, the process of entrepreneurship is much more intricate and effort-consuming than simply using the tag of it. Some people would just call themselves an entrepreneur without putting in the actual work that goes behind being one. So are you an entrepreneur or a wantrepreneur? Hope this article gives a clear idea about which is what. Read Top 10 Co-working Spaces in Dhaka

Whether it is the social structure or lack of proper importance to female empowerment, women in Bangladesh were always on the back foot when it came to education, job or business. This has been the case for centuries without much change. However, the scenario is changing. Due to widespread incentives and facilitations women, today are now getting access to proper education. The government of Bangladesh is also championing gender balance in the workplace. Defying all the odds set against women, there are a few who stood against the patriarchy and established themselves as successful women. Let's take a look at some of the admired women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh and what made them what they are today. Some Successful Bangladeshi Women Entrepreneurs Bibi Russel The contribution of Bibi Russell to the fashion industry of Bangladesh is undeniable. One of the pioneering figures in the fashion and ethnic culture of Bangladesh, Bibi Russell was born in 1950 and completed her higher education at London College of Fashion. She organized several fashion shows in Paris and Spain and has been the face of many leading fashion brands of the world in the late 70s. Bibi Russell came back to Bangladesh in the late 90s and has since started her entrepreneurial venture, the Bibi Russell Production House. The distinct design element of her line incorporation elements of Bengali and Ethnic culture gave her products a unique position in the Bengali fashion landscape. Today her fashion house employs over 35000 rural artisans. Bibi Russell is a glaring example for the women who want to venture into the world of fashion designing. Read: Graphic Designer Salaries: How Much Can You Earn from Graphic Design? Ivy Haque Russell There is an acute lack of female health-related service in Bangladesh. Ivy Haque Russell, a former investment banker felt there should be changes to the current state and hence founded the Maya Limited in 2017. Maya limited is an online platform that provides females with all types of services and help. Initially, Ivy Haque started working with the healthy development of pregnant women. The idea was to enlighten them on self-care and seeking medical counsel when necessary. With its success, Maya has ventured into other health services as well as legal aides. Anyone can check their app or website to access information as well as seek legal help by keeping their identity hidden. The contribution of Maya has added to the stride of women empowerment in Bangladesh and it's a commendable step towards the right direction. Read Best Credit Cards in Bangladesh: A Comparative Analysis Rubaba Dowla Rubaba Dowla is an exemplary figure in the corporate world of Bangladesh. Graduating from Stockholm University in Economics, she entered into the corporate world in 1998 as a marketing executive in Grameenphone. In a career expanding over 23 years, Rubaba Dowla has redefined what it means to strive for excellence and that women are no less compared to men in the corporate world. Rubaba is the founder of Pulse Healthcare Service and has also been acting as the country manager of Oracle. Her startup aims to ensure healthcare service for all through their medical center as well as an online platform. The organization has gained popularity under the able leadership of Rubaba. Read: Online Business: How to Get Started from Home? Taslima Miji In the social fabric of Bangladesh which somehow shares a negative impression towards female entrepreneurship, the successful and striving female entrepreneurs are breaking the long-held stereotypes. And among them, the story of Taslima Miji is even more inspiring. Taslima Miji is the founder of Techmania. A company that provides computer-related hardware solutions for organizations. From repairing to assembling, the range of service offered by Techmania is diverse. Taslima Miji completed her higher studies at the University of Dhaka. Although hailing from a family of businessmen, she decided not to get into the family business line. Rather Miji started her entrepreneurial venture with tech, completely unrelated to her family business line. Over time, Miji was able to establish Techmania as a leading tech solution for a range of organizations and corporations. Read Small Business Ideas for F-commerce Startups in Bangladesh during Pandemic Selima Ahmed The path towards female entrepreneurship is still growing. Though it is yet to be on par with male entrepreneurship, the development that has been done to this point in this sector for women can be largely attributed to the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry or BWCCI. Selima Ahmed is the founder of BWCCI. In her long and illustrious career of entrepreneurship in the private sector. In her early days of entrepreneurship, Selima Ahmed understood that the situation was not favorable for women entrepreneurs at all. Through her struggle to establish her ventures, she also focused to make the situation better for others. Over the years, BWCCI has helped countless women to kickstart their entrepreneurial ventures and provide any form of support necessary. For her service to the industry, Selima Ahmed was awarded the Islamic Development Bank prize in 2012. Read Top Insurance Companies in Bangladesh in 2021 Sabrina Islam Just like Selima Ahmed, Sabrina Islam is also a shining example of women empowerment in Bangladesh. After completing her education in law from the University of Dhaka, Sabrina Islam decided to start her own business in the mid-70s. it was during a time where women's entrepreneurship was practically unheard of. Sabrina Islam faced many challenges to establish her ventures and simultaneously felt the need for mentorship to the aspiring female entrepreneurs. Over four decades, Sabrina Islam paved the way for many female entrepreneurs and as an acknowledgment of her service, she received the Daily Star award for Most Outstanding Woman in Business in 2008. Currently, she is heading the Women's Entrepreneurship Association and acting as a managing director of a leading garments factory. Read: Ways of Affiliate Marketing while Staying in Bangladesh Salina Qadar Salina Qadar is another pioneering figure in female entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. she started her first venture, Agriconcern back in 1985. This was a time when Bangladesh was having a tumultuous political situation and it was harming the agricultural sector. She observed that there was practically no form of incentivization of export of potato, even though it grows in abundance in Bangladesh. Over the next decade, Salina Qadar facilitated the export of over 12000 metric tons of potato. For her achievement and service in the agricultural sector, she was recognized for her work by the Daily Star in 2004. Bottom Line The state of women's entrepreneurship in Bangladesh is still growing. In addition to government incentives, various private firms are also providing support for up-and-coming aspiring entrepreneurs. The accomplished female entrepreneurs can act as an inspiration for many. They stand to prove that no matter what the odds maybe if you have conviction, you will succeed.  Read Legendary Women in Bangladesh with Pioneering Contribution in Diverse Fields

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the leading university in Asean, has launched the Yunus Professional Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship. The professional post-graduate programme will start enrolling students in August and is likely to appeal to its intended audience of mid-career professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and AIT President Professor Eden Woon addressed the global launching of the programme online on Wednesday. Professor Faiz Shah, director of Yunus Centre at AIT and also the academic head of Yunus Professional Masters Programme, presented the details of the content of the programme, the Yunus Centre said on Friday. Also read: Dr. Yunus made chancellor of Malaysian University He said this programme is a one-of-a-kind masters degree to translate the vision of the Nobel peace laureate. Professor Yunus, a thought leader in social business and enterprise-led development, said: "The problems of the world are created in classrooms; they pass on to students only a narrow selfish narrative of the world." He said education is like watching the same side of the moon, again and again, never allowing the students to ask the question of what is on the other side of the moon. "In our campuses, we have to build new rockets and spacecraft to take us to the forbidden side of the academic moon. This masters degree will be an initiative to build that rocket to explore the other side," Professor Yunus said. President Eden Woon said Professor Yunus has inspired millions around the world. "This programme will be highly attractive in this day and age when the world is not doing very well." Also read: It’s universities’ job to redesign economic theories: Dr Yunus The degree will be a curated programme, built from the School of Environment, Resources and Development and School of Management of AIT, containing an integrated practicum led by Professor Yunus, and connected with the social business academia network connecting 91 universities located in five continents. Students learn development precepts and management principles through regular coursework and acquire practical exposure through the internship integrated into the Yunus Colloquium. AIT, the entrepreneurial heartland of Asia, has accomplished the rank of top 20 in a global ranking for its commitment and performance around integrating the UN SDGs, particularly eliminating poverty, into the curriculum and research.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will support a budget of $7.5 million from 2020-2024 for infrastructure, developing entrepreneurship education module and building capacity, research and advocacy in Bangladesh. It will help strengthen the network and relationship among stakeholders of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Bangladesh. KOICA Bangladesh organised a meeting for the project entitled “Capacity Building of Universities in Bangladesh to Promote Youth Entrepreneurship” held virtually on Wednesday (March 31, 2021) due to Covid-19 current condition. Also read: KOICA holds de-briefing seminar on capacity building for OSH This project is expected to improve the environment for potential youth entrepreneurs through the capacity building of Bangladeshi universities on entrepreneurship education. Doh Young-Ah, Country Director of KOICA Bangladesh, mentioned the importance of an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem for Bangladesh’s development journey. The project will combine the best practices and experiences of South Korea and Bangladesh to address socio-economic challenges and opportunities through entrepreneurial initiatives. Also read: KOICA supports Mugda Hospital with ICU, medical supplies in COVID-19 response Professor Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Vice-Chancellor, University of Dhaka, welcomed the initiative and expressed his cooperation to implement the project successfully to improve the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Bangladesh. Derik Kim, project manager, and chief consultant, Korea Productivity Center, on behalf of the Korean Project Management Consulting (PMC) consortium comprising of Korea Productivity Center (KPC) & Korea Polytechnic University (KPU) team, made a presentation on the project scope, timeline, and deliverables, and highlighted the future implementation plans with the University of Dhaka. Derik Kim shared some of the components of the project, including space design and construction, curriculum development and entrepreneurship education, overseas training on entrepreneurship for faculty members and relevant government officials, seminars, hackathon, thematic session, Bootcamp, entrepreneurship contest winner’s capacity building, and community mapping, etc. Also read: KOICA to help strengthen Bangladesh's road maintenance, management system Faculties, students, employees, relevant officials from different government organizations, policymakers, regulators, startup community, and others will be the beneficiaries of this unique University-led project. The meeting's objective was to share the overall project aim like improve the overall ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Bangladesh through universities' capacity building to nurture the youth's potential minds, and discuss the statement of work, project scope, timeline, deliverables in the project and future implementation plans with the University of Dhaka.

Thirteen women were awarded the "Woman of Inspiration Award 2021" Saturday (March 27, 2021) on the occasion of International Women's Day. Global nonprofit organisation JCI Bangladesh organised the programme at a Dhaka hotel to honour the exceptional women "who inspire others to be more and do more." The inspirational women received the award in different categories including entrepreneurship, banking, legal affairs, business innovation, medical innovation, defence, art and culture, fashion and beauty, media, and corporate leadership. Read Legendary Women in Bangladesh with Pioneering Contribution in Diverse Fields.