August 7, 2011 – International Students Research Program (ISRP) has started today with a key-note lecture from Nobel Laureate  Dr. Muhammad Yunus and a presentation session on Social Business  by Yunus Center. In this ISRP Summer 2011 session, 18 students from different Japanese Universities are attending the program. Today the students met Professor Yunus to hear directly from him on Social Business.

ISRP offers seminars, experience of working with the villagers to identify social problems and brainstorming for unique solutions to solve social issues. 8 Bangladeshi students from the University of Dhaka, Jahangir Nagar University and Heriot-Watt University are also joining the program with them. They will stay in Ekhlaspur in Matlab Uttar Upazila under Chandpur District during August 9-17, 2011. The team will work in 4 MDG items:  Education, Health, Water-Sanitation and Waste Management. Local people from Ekhlaspur village will support this program and arrange local food, accommodation and cultural activities for the visiting team.

Professor  Seiichiro Yonekura (Director, Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University, Japan) and Dr. Ashir Ahmed (Founder and Director, Global Communication Center, Bangladesh) have started this program since 2008. There are three sessions of ISRP every year in spring (April-July), summer (August-November) and winter (December-March) respectively. Grameen Yukiguni Maitake Co. Ltd., the first social business with Japan, was created through this program.