AIU chancellor Muhammad Yunus receives Olympic Laurel

PETALING JAYA: Albukhary International University chancellor and Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus has officially become the second recipient of the Olympic Laurel.

The distinction was conferred to the inaugural chancellor of the university located in Alor Setar, Kedah, during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on July 23.

He received the Olympic Laurel for his philanthropic desire to eradicate poverty, including through sports.

Muhammad has spent years spreading knowledge about social business and helping athletes become socially responsible entrepreneurs when they decide to leave their sports careers.

“You, athletes of the world, can provide leadership in transforming this world,” he said in his acceptance speech via video link from his home in Dhaka.

Muhammad has also established the Yunus Sports Hub to promote the theory of development to unveil potential and provide solutions through sport.

He has collaborated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on several projects, including the IOC Young Leaders Programme, the “Imagine” Peace Youth Camp and the Athlete365 Business Accelerator, the first entrepreneurship scheme that helps Olympians transition their careers.

He has also called for creating a world of three zeros - zero net carbon emission; zero wealth concentration to end poverty and zero unemployment through entrepreneurship for everyone.