A social entrepreneurship initiative at EPFL

Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and the inventor of microcredit, visited EPFL today where he led a conference. The school took this opportunity to announce a new social entrepreneurship initiative, which includes the creation of the first Yunus Social Business Center in Switzerland. In a world that sees innovation as a way to grow the bottom line, technology can also be used as a way to resolve society's most pressing social challenges and improve the lives of millions of people around the globe. This is a natural area of interest for EPFL, a leader in innovation, which is launching the Social Impact Initiative (SII). The aim of the SII is seeks to bridge the gap between technology and innovation to maximize social impact and involve all stakeholder groups, from academia to businesses and start-ups, by bringing them together on a common theme of social impact. The SII is built on three pillars: education, innovation and awareness-raising. In the area of education, the SII is preparing to offer a new course on social impact and social entrepreneurship, including a MOOC called Social Venture.