Businesses sustained long when they kept people and the society on the top of all considerations. World’s famous brands have innovated ideas that could touch the hearts of their clients and the people around and address the needs of the people aiming to build a caring society.
This was stated at a weeklong CSR capacity building workshop that took place at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand from 6 to 11 June 2014. MRDI organized the workshop in partnership with Bangladesh Bank and in collaboration with AIT with an aim to enhance the capacity of the teachers of Dhaka University on academic aspects of CSR. Professors of Dhaka University and representatives of Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) and MRDI participated in the workshop. During the workshop the participants made a visit to the Standard Chartered village in the Mekong province to see a sustainable CSR intervention.
The highly participatory and interactive workshop was facilitated by Mr. Alex Mavro, Professor of the Sasin Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and Mr. Denis Walker, management and sustainability consultant.
The workshop presented an innovative model of business sustainability called ISIS methodology which stands for Indicators, Systems, Innovation and Strategy. Linking CSR with business sustainability, the workshop highlighted on global trends and practices in sustainability, working definitions, stakeholder engagement, regulation and standards such as ISO 26000, HDI, GRI, and Global Compact.
Through this intervention across the border, MRDI’s CSR advocacy initiative touched yet another milestone. In addition to developing academic capacity of the university teachers, this programme has created an opportunity for AIT and MRDI to work together on capacity building of corporate houses on CSR planning and operations.
While handing over certificates to the participants in the closing session, Executive Director of AIT-Extension Dr. Jonathon Shaw stressed the need for building a sustainable society. He said, businesses that create values for the stakeholders sustain in the long run. “A programme or business designed in a constructive manner sustains, whereas an extractive design necessarily collapses,” he added.
Dr. Sundar Venkatesh, Adviser to the Executive Director of AIT-Extension termed the workshop as a unique one which involved senior professors of Dhaka University. He thankfully mentioned the strong advocacy role of the Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr. Atiur Rahman in promoting CSR and the concept of inclusive banking.
Head of the delegation Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Dhaka University emphatically mentioned that this is the biggest high profile team attending a workshop abroad in 93 years’ history of Dhaka University.
