AIT participated in the fourth Global Social Business Summit following
an invitation by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who is also
the designated chair of YCA. This follows a discussion between Prof.
Yunus and Prof. Said Irandoust held during the Social Business
Symposium which jointly organized at AIT on 8 May 2012. Prof. Yunus had
expressed interest in AIT taking the lead in developing and rolling out
social business models based on pro-poor technologies.
The Summit also provided an opportunity to YCA to re-launch and
introduce its new initiatives. Dr. Faiz Shah, Director, YCA presented
the six thematic areas of YCA’s newly launched program at the plenary
session. Both Dr. Shah and Dr. Louis Hornyak presented three projects
during the academic sessions, which included a working demonstration of
a waterless sanitation concept as an example of YCA’s pro-poor
technology. A member of the AIT delegation also had the opportunity to
talk to Her Majesty, Queen Sofia of Spain where she explained in detail
YCA’s vision in developing social business projects that are gender
mainstreamed and based on pro-poor technologies.
AIT delegates also participated in workshops and discussion groups
relevant to their responsibilities at YCA, providing them useful
insights about various aspects of social business. Delegates from AIT
who participated in the Summit included Dr. Faiz Shah, Director, YCA;
Dr. Gabor Louis Hornyak, acting director of AIT’s Nanotechnology
Centre; Ms. Olga Cordon Girones, YCA senior associate; and Ms. Rowena
Alcoba, Ms. Evanshainia Syiem, Mr. Faisal Alih, and Mr. Mathew
Kuruvilla, YCA associates.
