Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate recognized for pioneering microcredit and microfinance to combat poverty. His work has transitioned from academic theory to tangible initiatives, including founding Grameen Bank and leading an interim government in Bangladesh. After pioneering micro-lending with a transformative $27 loan to 42 village women in 1976, Muhammad Yunus went on to establish the groundbreaking Grameen Bank, an institution empowering impoverished individuals without collateral. This foundational work followed his academic career, which included earning a PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University in 1969 and serving as head of the Economics department at Chittagong University after 1972.

He served as Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University from 2012 to 2018, having also founded the Yunus Centre in 2008 and established over 20 social businesses in Bangladesh. In 2024, he was appointed as the fifth Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, initiating significant governance reforms including a bicameral parliament, public transport improvements, enhanced police accountability, digital legal aid, and new traffic signal systems. Yunus remains a prominent advocate for social business, and is slated to be named one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ in 2025.