USG economic development conference features Nobel Prize winner
9/30/2011 5:03:27 PM
ATLANTA -- (Sept.
30, 2011) The acknowledged founder of the "microcredit" concept, Dr.
Muhammad Yunus, will be the featured speaker at a daylong economic development
conference being hosted by the University System of Georgia (USG).
The "Social Business and Microcredit" conference
will be held on Mon., Oct. 17 in Atlanta at Georgia Tech's Ferst Center. The
conference also will showcase business proposals by USG students to address a
number of social issues facing Georgia communities.
"We are delighted that Professor Yunus will help anchor
this event," said USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby. "Our goal is to pull
together a number of key state players in economic development along with our
talent in the University System to explore ways in which our partnership
efforts can better benefit Georgia's economic recovery and possibly create the
potential for new businesses and jobs."
Yunus is the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his
pioneering work in microcredit, the extension of very small loans (microloans)
to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. He has since expanded
the concept to incorporate a larger focus on social business models – creating
business solutions to social issues. The USG-sponsored competition requires
students to submit entries that meet the requirements of social business.
"I am excited about the conference and how this can be
a starting point in addressing many of the socio-economic problems in the State
of Georgia and elsewhere," Yunus said.
In addition to the USG, the following agencies and organizations
are involved with the conference: Georgia Department of Education, Georgia
Department of Economic Development, Georgia Department of Community Affairs,
Georgia Department of Human Resources, Technical College System of Georgia,
Georgia Student Finance Commission, Department of Early Care and Learning,
Governor's Office of Student Achievement, Georgia Professional Standards
Commission, Georgia Economic Developers Association, Georgia Chamber of
Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Independent College
Association, Association of Education Agency heads, TiE – the Indus
Entrepreneurs, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, and Yunus Creative Lab.
Conference attendees will include representatives from
public and private colleges and universities and technical colleges, from state
economic development agencies, state and local elected officials, and chambers
of commerce.
For more information about the Oct. 17 conference, see: http://www.usg.edu/social_business_microcredit/
For more information about Yunus and microcredit, see: http://www.muhammadyunus.org/About-Professor-Yunus/cv-of-professor-muhammad-yunus/