IPS Nobel Laureate Lecture

Professor Muhammad Yunus

Founder & Managing Director of Grameen Bank

"Empowering the Poor: Lessons from Microfinancing"

Date : 13 August 2007 (Monday)

Time : 3.00 – 5.00 pm

Venue : Orchard Hotel, Ballroom 1 & 2
 

Synopsis

The Institute of Policy Studies is very proud to present a public lecture by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. He is a crusader for delivering the poor from the vicious cycle of poverty. Professor Yunus and the extraordinary bank he founded, Grameen Bank, received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts "to create economic and social development from below." He originated the concept of Grameen Bank, i.e. banking without collateral for the poorest of the poor. The success of Grameen Bank is not only about the success of micro-financing, but also of the notion that businesses can be scaled down to the micro level so that it can engage the poor as customers and producers, instead of treating them as charity cases. 'Grameen' has become the iconic marker of this revolutionary idea. More information on Grameen Bank can be found at this website http://www.grameen.com.

Speaker's Profile

Beside the Nobel Prize, Professor Yunus has received many other international awards for his efforts. He has received awards from Australia, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

Within Bangladesh, he received the President's Award, Central Bank Award, and Independence Day Award, the highest national award. He was the first chair of the international Policy Advisory Group of CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest). He has been appointed as an International Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS by the United Nations. He has been inducted as a member of the Legion d'Honneur by President Jacques Chirac of France.

Professor Yunus studied economics in the Vanderbilt University, USA and received his PhD in Economics in 1970. He has received more than 25 honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world. You can find out more about his work and achievements at http://www.yunussecretariat.org/content/.

Download

IPS Nobel Laureate Lecture: Summary Proceedings

For enquiries

For more information, please contact Ms Jessamine Soo at tel: 6215 1019 or email pl_nobel@ips.org.sg.