In an age marked by growing inequality, accelerating climate collapse, and rising social isolation, the moment for bold, human-scale solutions has never been more urgent. Amidst such worldwide upheaval, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus offers a clarion call to action: “Imagine big to change the world.”
This article explores the profound meaning of Professor Yunus’s message, which was delivered recently at Peking University (PKU), and connects it to the visionary agenda of Grameen University—an institution that wants not only to educate minds but to ignite the imagination, foster ethical leadership, and transform lives and communities. This article highlights how Yunus’s ideas, grounded in entrepreneurial humanism and practical innovation, present a new paradigm for social development and higher education in Bangladesh and beyond.
Professor Yunus’s lecture at PKU was inspirational, but more importantly, it was a guide to institutional transformation. Speaking to a new generation of students, he espoused imagination as the most powerful weapon of humanity, the one that transforms societies, recreates economies and imparts dignity to the marginalized. His message is relevant to Bangladesh, a nation prosperous in human potential but long stifled by structural bottlenecks. Here, the seeds of his vision—mainly through Grameen University—fall on fertile soil.
At the center of Professor Yunus’s philosophy is a radical rethinking of human potential. “Imagination is stronger than all the things we can assemble,” he stated. Far from some utopian fantasy, this conviction is based on decades of successful action—most notably the creation of the Grameen Bank, the development of the Social Business model, and the crafting of the Three Zeros concept: Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions. These are not abstract or utopian hopes. They are specific, scalable, and profound human aspirations, grounded in the belief that every human being, regardless of socio-economic background, has within them the power to innovate, lift others, and lead transformational change. Professor Yunus envisions a world in which systems are not designed to stifle potential but to unleash it.
In this sense, Grameen University is not merely a university—it is a living forum for realizing these ideas, a place where imagination is nurtured and where students are empowered to become agents of systemic change. Through entrepreneurial education, social innovation, and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability, the university reflects the essence of Yunus’s call: to imagine boldly, act ethically, and transform courageously.
From Vision to Action: Social Business and Entrepreneurial Humanism
At the heart of Professor Muhammad Yunus’s philosophy is a radical challenge to one of modern society’s most deeply entrenched assumptions: that human beings are born to seek jobs. He argues this is not an absolute truth but a social construct imposed by economic systems that narrowly define success, constrain the imagination, and suppress human potential. In contrast, Yunus offers an equally compelling counter-narrative: all people are born entrepreneurs, possessed of innate creativity, tenacity, and the capacity for innovation. It is not aptitude but systems designed to limit their scope, stifle their initiative, deny them opportunity, and hold them back.
This philosophy is the lifeblood of Yunus’s social business model, a radical rethinking of business itself. Here, business is not driven by the profit motive alone but by a higher calling: solving social, economic, and environmental challenges in sustainable solutions. Social Business appropriates the instruments and efficiency of entrepreneurship but channels its vigor into improving society. It is capitalism reinvented—not for exploitation, but for empowerment.
This entrepreneurial humanism philosophy informs Grameen University, a visionary university not conceived merely to dispense knowledge but to awaken the dormant potential in those the system has historically excluded. Unlike conventional universities, which are frequently feeder tubes into a predetermined labor market, Grameen University is being shaped as a breakthrough academic institution where education meets empathy, enterprise, and environmental sustainability.
Education is not about career pathways or rote memorization but intentional learning, problem-solving, and imagining possibilities. The university’s mission is to uplift social architects—individuals with degrees and the courage and ability to reimagine busted systems, design equitable innovations, and build self-sustaining, resilient communities.
Inspired by the ideals of Social Business, the students of Grameen University are encouraged to look beyond impersonal market forces. Students are taught to innovate businesses that address fundamental human needs—from poverty and inequality to environmental degradation and youth unemployment. Entrepreneurship is not an instrument of personal aggrandizement; it’s a vehicle of collective improvement.
Most critically, Grameen University aims to reverse the logic of intergenerational poverty. It is not training students to compete for limited job vacancies but to be job creators, especially for those still stuck at the margins of economic opportunity. It creates an educational vision where impact replaces prestige and contribution eclipses consumption.
With this model, Yunus is offering more than a university—he is designing a blueprint for a new civilization, one where education aims to liberate minds, ignite innovation, and restore dignity to the disenfranchised. It is a return to the university’s founding spirit as an institution of knowledge transmission and social transformation. Grameen University stands as a beacon for what can be accomplished when vision is translated into action in a world so desperately in need of reimagination. Education is leveraged as a tool for equity, entrepreneurship, and long-term human benefit.
Imagination in Practice: AI, Innovation, and the True Purpose of Education
Grameen University must become a sanctuary of imagination where creative disruption is nurtured and institutionalized in a world reeling from accelerated technological change, worsening inequalities, and environmental vulnerability. Grounded in the liberatory vision of Professor Muhammad Yunus, the university must transcend the traditional role of education as a pipeline to employment and instead become a force for bold ideas, ethical innovation, and radical inclusion.
Grameen University should be a crucible where disciplines intersect with intention—science meets humanity, business meets ethics and technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), is a tool for empowerment and not exclusion. In such an environment, students are not merely trained to function in the world as it is—they are pushed to reimagine the world as it could be.
Professor Yunus has posed a fundamental question that should guide this institution’s educational philosophy: “What is the purpose of education?” And his answer was unequivocal: to release human beings’ creative energy so they can remake the world. This is not a metaphor—it is a call to action. At Grameen University, this task must be incorporated into the DNA of every course, every classroom, and every discussion.
In this vision, curricula must be rooted in real-world relevance and global urgency. Rote memorization gives way to problem-based learning; rigid conformity gives way to critical inquiry and creative exploration. Students must be empowered with knowledge and courage—the courage to challenge broken systems, experiment without fear of failure, and co-create solutions that serve humanity and the planet.
More precisely, AI and emerging technologies must be demystified and democratized. Rather than tools of elite access or corporation, they must be retooled as instruments of social good used to bridge the digital divide, accelerate healthcare, revolutionize education, enable environmental sustainability, and empower the voiceless. Grameen University must be a leader in teaching students not just to use AI but to ethically challenge it, to design it inclusively, and to implement it imaginatively.
Innovation is not a matter of invention—it is a matter of intention. The intention of innovation must be to uplift, not to manipulate; to bring together, not to divide; to solve problems, not to perpetuate them. At Grameen University, innovation must be crafted as a moral act, one that is driven by empathy, informed by context and measured not by profit but by impact.
Lastly, imagination in action enables students to make the invisible visible, give a voice to the voiceless, and make the impossible possible. Through experiential learning, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and social entrepreneurial experimentation, students won’t just learn about change, they will become the changemakers.
This is how Grameen University will be distinct—not a degree mill, but a visionary crucible, where education is applied to its highest function: awakening human potential in The Three Zeros: A Transformative Framework for Grameen University’s Purpose. Grameen University is not just an educational institution—it is envisioned as a living laboratory of social transformation rooted in the visionary ideas of Professor Muhammad Yunus. At its core is the Three Zeros principle: Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions—not as distant aspirations but as institutional imperatives integrated into the very DNA of its mission, teaching, and operations.
Each “Zero” is more than a policy objective; it is a governing principle that redefines the mission of higher education in the 21st century, rendering Grameen University a holistic, humane, and future-fit learning model.
Zero Poverty: Education as Economic Liberation
The university’s first commitment, Zero Poverty, follows the belief that education should be a gateway to self-reliance and prosperity for all—especially those historically excluded from access to opportunity. Grameen University will specialize in entrepreneurial education, financial inclusion, and social business incubation to equip students from low-income backgrounds. By empowering them with the tools, mentorship, and networks they need to develop sustainable enterprises, the university acts as a catalyst for economic empowerment for individuals and communities. This model goes beyond theoretical learning to deliver impact-based, real-world learning—where students solve problems based on their life experiences, breaking generational cycles of poverty and becoming local and global change agents.
Zero Unemployment: Creating Job Creators, Not Job Seekers
The second commitment, Zero Unemployment, challenges the conventional education-to-employment pipeline that educates graduates to compete for a finite number of jobs. Grameen University encourages an entrepreneurial mindset whereby students are challenged to identify unserved needs in society and respond with innovative solutions.
Integrating social entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary learning, and community-based problem solving into its curriculum, the university develops graduates who create employment, particularly in underdeveloped rural communities where economic stagnation is worst. This model transforms education into a force for empowerment, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods rather than simply a credentialing mechanism.
Zero Net Carbon Emissions: Sustainability as a Core Ethic
The third commitment, Zero Net Carbon Emissions, makes sustainability not an add-on but a central institutional ethos. At a moment when the world is confronted with an unprecedented environmental crisis, Grameen University wishes to lead by example. From sustainable campus facilities and renewable energy systems to low-carbon research and ecologically conscious curriculum development, the university aims to model a resilient, regenerative, and responsible future.
Sustainability will be incorporated into every decision—from classroom practice and collaboration to resource management and student projects—so that our graduates become innovators and stewards of the planet. These Three Zeros form a comprehensive vision of human and planetary well-being. They position Grameen University as a pioneer in redefining the purpose of higher education: not simply to prepare workers but to cultivate ethical leaders, visionary entrepreneurs, and compassionate global citizens.
In proposing this model, Grameen University dares to ask a different set of questions: What kind of world should education build? What kinds of lives should it make possible? And what kind of future should it make possible for us to create? The answers lie in its commitment to Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions, a new educational direction for an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Conclusion: Building a University Worth Imagining
In his impassioned lecture at Peking University, Professor Muhammad Yunus reminded the world that the true path of human progress is marked by our ability to make the impossible possible. This is no figure of speech but a moral imperative, a call to action for institutions, educators, and changemakers everywhere. Grameen University must become a living embodiment of this vision. At this university, bold imagination is nurtured, social empathy is inherent in learning, and institutional integrity is the foundation of every enterprise. It cannot follow market trends or mere prestige but must lead to moral purpose, community involvement, and systemic transformation.
As Professor Yunus beautifully phrased it, “Human beings are not born to work for somebody else. They are born to imagine, create, and change the world.” This is the spirit that Grameen University must instill in its students—a faith in their power to interact with the world and transform it. Professor Yunus’ legacy is not microcredit or economic transformation. It is something far more enduring: the democratization of hope—the conviction that any human being, regardless of circumstance, can dream, innovate, and lead.
Under visionary leadership and informed by the Three Zeros paradigm, Grameen University can be a generational institution that doesn’t merely educate but uplifts, one that doesn’t merely inform but inspires. A university where the impossible is not simply imagined—but chased relentlessly and, ultimately, achieved.