Yunus Center for Social Business and Sustainability

We believe that there are several social, environmental, and economic issues that can be solved in a sustainable way by harnessing the power of business.

For example, poverty and high rates of youth unemployment in Albania and Western Balkans can be tackled by promoting the creation and development of social business initiatives. Social business initiatives create proper conditions for self-employment and employment of others by serving both the interests of entrepreneurs and the community. Likewise, social business can work to provide clean energy, waste recycling, and sustainable production of goods and services.

Yet, in order to create awareness and interest in social business among the young generation, social business knowledge must be gathered, critically examined, and disseminated through academic institutions. Therefore, the Yunus Center for Social Business and Sustainability (YCSBS) at Epoka University in Tirana, Albania serves as a research center to map the social business ecosystem, gather knowledge on social business, examine and test theories of social business, while also seeking to find predictors of success in social business and its ultimate impact in reducing poverty and other social, economic, or environmental problems. YCSBS further works to disseminate knowledge on social business with academia, in the market, with government, and with civil society. Additionally, YCSBS educates students with the principles of social business and prepares them in accordance with market needs.

Furthermore, by offering trainings and mentorships on how to build and develop social businesses, YCSBS equips various professionals and entrepreneurs with the needed social business principles to tackle these pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.