North South University (NSU) hosted the “Social Business Innovation Summit 2026” on Tuesday, aiming to inspire the next generation of social innovators.
The event was organised by the NSU School of Business and Economics (SBE) in collaboration with the Yunus Centre at the university auditorium, reads a press release.
Sponsored by Dhaka Bank PLC, United Commercial Bank PLC, and Capitec Asset Management Ltd, the summit brought together distinguished policymakers, academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, and international social business practitioners to explore sustainable social impact through business.
Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Member of Parliament, graced the programme as the chief guest.
The session featured a welcome speech by NSU Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Nasar U Ahmed, a host’s introduction by NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, and opening remarks by Ms Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Centre and Grameen Healthcare Trust.
Other notable attendees included Professor Faiz H Shah, Executive Director of Yunus Centre – Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Professor AKM Waresul Karim, Dean of the School of Business & Economics, NSU; Dr Chien-wen Shen, Associate Dean at National Central University, Taiwan; Professor Abdur Rab, Vice Chancellor of the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology; and Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Mohd Saleh Bin Jaafar, Vice Chancellor and President of Albukhary International University, Malaysia.
Welcoming the guests, Professor Nasar U Ahmed remarked that success should be measured by purpose and the well-being of people rather than just profit.
Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury emphasised NSU’s commitment to integrating social business principles into education to empower students to address real-world challenges through entrepreneurship.
Ms Lamiya Morshed highlighted the power of the younger generation and encouraged them to create businesses that contribute to a “world of three zeros: zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment.”
Moyeen Khan praised the role of students and teachers in shaping the nation’s future, specifically noting their involvement in the events of 2024. He expressed his belief that private universities will continue to promote civic responsibility and serve the nation.
The programmme included a plenary session titled “Beyond Profit: Redefining Business for the Next Generation.”
During the session, Professor Faiz H Shah addressed misconceptions about social business, saying that reputation and purpose drive success and that social impact can coexist with earning money.
Dr Chien-wen Shen highlighted vision and effective execution as keys to sustainable success, while Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Mohd Saleh Bin Jaafar called for greater collaboration among international institutions to solve global challenges like climate change and poverty.
The summit also featured several breakout sessions covering themes such as food security through the RIZQ model, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) perspectives, inclusive finance, gender equity in social entrepreneurship, and healthcare innovations and a day-long “Social Business Innovation Showcase” highlighted projects by students, startups, and social enterprises.
The event was designed to inspire the next generation of social innovators under the theme, “Create. Sustain. Transform. Empowering the Next Generation of Social Innovators.”
