DHAKA: As a part of Social Business Week of China, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus arrived in Ningbo, a port city in the eastern coast of China.
On 31 July, his day began with meeting the students of Huamao English School, a leading private school in the city. Yunus addressed the students and invited them to imagine the world they would like to live in. This is the time to create that world in their minds so that they can work to make it a reality. “If they imagine it now, it will happen; if they do not imagine, it will never happen”, he reminded the students.
Students asked him many questions over a period of more than an hour. Yunus explained and elaborated his views through answering the questions.
Founder of the school announced the opening of a Yunus Centre for Social Business in the school to allow students to learn about this new concept of business.
Ningbo region is one the sites of uninterrupted development of Chinese civilization going back to 7000 years. Its location made it a historical port city connecting Japan and other parts of the world with China. Today it is one of the high growth cities in China and is recognised as the fourth most economically powerful city in China. It is located in the north of Shanghai.
Day-long celebrations included lunch a meeting of Yunus with leading businessmen of the city, addressing the NGO leaders, the media, and a formal meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Commission of the Chinese Communist party of Ningbo. He wanted to know how social business can address the inclusive finance and reduce poverty to zero which are the high priority agendas of the Party. Leading citizens of the city were present at this meeting covered by the media.
Celebration ended with the concluding session of the conference attended by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese communist Party of Ningbo.
Yunus gave the concluding address detailing out the essence of microcredit and social business. He said he was told repeatedly that people of Ningbo are by nature entrepreneurial and philanthropic. “That is precisely what social business is made of”, he said, lumping both elements into one. He said people of Ningbo can lead the world in the social business journey. He said he was very impressed by the social orientation of all people he met from Ningbo.
Other leading participants in Social Business Week celebration in Ningbo were--Liu Haibin, Shanxi Yaodu Agricultural and Commercial Bank, Chang Xiling, Xi’an Arbitration Commission Financial Arbitration Court, Zhu Yi, Shanghai International Bank Finance College, Shanghai University of Finance. Shi Tenglong, CEP of Fuhui Culture, Chen Chunming, CEO of Zhongxi Culture, Chen Fugen, General Manager of Zhongxi Culture, Chen Yaofang, Member of Shanyuan Foundation, Yan Yina, Director of Shanyuan Foundation. Zou Ming, Reporter of ifeng, Wu Haipeng, Reporter of ifeng, Cao Fang, International Cooperation Department of the Global Alliance of Small and Medium Enterprises, Li Nan, Member of Fansu, Wang Xisheng, Xi’an Folk Finance Association, Tang Zhongmin, Leader of the Subject Group of “Inclusive Finance and Integration of Urban and Rural Areas.”
Professor Yunus was invited to come back to Ningbo for a whole week to celebrate Social Business Week of Ningbo, instead of one day in Social Business Week of China.
BDST: 1956 HRS, AUG 01, 2019
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