Yunus Centre celebrates 10-year anniversary

Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus today hailed the "amazing" success of the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Officially launched in July 2010, the YCSBH is now recognised as a world-class research centre in social innovation, health economics, the social economy, and public health.

Over the last decade, it has progressed from a staff of three to a team of 35, attracting more than £7million in research funding.

The centre is planning a series of special events over the next 12 months, to mark its anniversary, and has relaunched its website.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, GCU's Emeritus Chancellor, said: "It was an amazing idea for the University to set up a centre to study and research social business, as social business research was not a known thing at all.

"It has led to a whole movement of social business globally. I had no idea it would grow into such a big movement. It has been an amazing 10 years, a very precious 10 years.

"Let's make sure this message, these ideas we have developed together, will grow and reach many more young people and hopefully contribute to changing the world."

Professor Pamela Gillies, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of GCU, said: "What the Yunus Centre has provided to the University as a whole is confidence in our ability to be world-leading.

"Its researchers are first class and ask challenging, disruptive and difficult questions.

"These questions are so important - especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is potentially a transformational point in contemporary history."

Professor Cam Donaldson, Yunus Chair and Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, said: "The whole idea for the Yunus Centre was a brilliant one. It was so exciting to think about how to build a research centre around that big idea and work with a Nobel Peace Laureate to bring those ideas to Scotland.

"We are now at the head of a network over 70 Yunus social business centres around the world. GCU is recognised as a global leader."

Professor Rachel Baker, Director of the YCSBH, added: "With the new decade come new challenges.

"Given the various social and health vulnerabilities laid bare by the COVID-19 emergency, we believe the work of the Yunus Centre is of greater relevance than ever."

Over the next 10 days, @YunusCentreGCU will run a social media campaign showcasing the depth and range of the research work produced by the centre, using the #GCUYunus10.

To find out more about the centre's work, visit the new-look website.