North South University hosts Social Business Innovation Summit 2026

FE Youth Desk
North South University (NSU) brought together policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs and social business practitioners from Bangladesh and abroad for the Social Business Innovation Summit 2026, held at the NSU Auditorium recently.
The summit was organised by NSU's School of Business and Economics (SBE) in collaboration with the Yunus Centre, and sponsored by Dhaka Bank PLC, United Commercial Bank PLC and Capitec Asset Management Limited. It was built around the theme "Create. Sustain. Transform. Empowering the Next Generation of Social Innovators."
Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, MP, attended the event as the chief guest. Professor Nasar U Ahmed, pro-vice chancellor of NSU, delivered the welcome speech, while Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of NSU, introduced the host institution. Ms Lamiya Morshed, executive director of the Yunus Centre and Grameen Healthcare Trust, delivered the opening remarks. Also present were Professor Faiz H Shah of the Yunus Centre-Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Professor AKM Waresul Karim, Dean of SBE; Dr Chien-wen Shen of National Central University, Taiwan; Professor Abdur Rab, vice chancellor of IUBAT; and Professor Dato' Ir. Dr Mohd Saleh Bin Jaafar, vice chancellor of Albukhary International University, Malaysia, along with teachers, students, industry figures and members of the press.
Professor Ahmed told guests that social business measures success "by purpose and the well-being of people, not only profit," adding that NSU wants its graduates to "dream boldly, think creatively, and serve humanity." Professor Chowdhury said the university was working to weave social business principles into its teaching so students could tackle real-world problems through entrepreneurship. Ms Morshed urged young entrepreneurs to build businesses aimed at a world of "three zeros" - zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration and zero unemployment. Dr Khan praised NSU's students and faculty for the role they played during the events of 2024, saying private universities have a duty to serve the nation beyond the classroom.
A plenary session, "Beyond Profit: Redefining Business for the Next Generation," followed, with speakers including Professor Shah, Dr Shen and Professor Jaafar discussing how vision, sound policy and cross-border collaboration can help address shared challenges such as climate change, food security and unemployment.
The day also featured ten breakout sessions on topics ranging from inclusive finance and ESG to gender equity in entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation, alongside a Startup& Social Business Innovation Session and a day-long Social Business Innovation Showcase spotlighting student and startup ventures.
The summit featured further discussions, international collaborations and exhibitions aimed at inspiring the next generation of social
innovators.