NSU VC calls for inclusive transformation at Palandöken Economic Forum 2025
Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of North South University (NSU) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grameen Bank, delivered a stirring keynote address at the Palandöken Economic Forum 2025 held in Erzurum, Turkey, on 27 April.
Speaking on the theme "Managing and Reducing Poverty in the Age of Transformation", Professor Chowdhury urged world leaders and policymakers to forge a path of inclusive growth rooted in compassion, cooperation, and equity.
The session, "Inequalities Created by the Transformational Period: Global Cooperation and Strategies Needed for a Sustainable Future," was moderated by Ayşe Süberker, Senior Presenter at Habertürk. It featured an esteemed panel comprising Tasnim Atatrah, World Health Organisation Representative to Turkey; Fayq Al Akayleh, AACSB team leader and academic from Saudi Arabia; Merve Safa Kavakcı, First Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC); and Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, Ambassador of South Africa to Turkey.
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The forum opened with a special video message from H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey. High-level attendees included H.E. Cevdet Yılmaz, Vice President of Turkey, and Binali Yıldırım, former Prime Minister.
Professor Chowdhury, reflecting on the Grameen Bank's legacy, shared how microfinance has empowered marginalised communities—especially women—by dismantling traditional barriers to finance such as the need for collateral. He recounted the story of Rahima from Rangpur, whose humble poultry business, nurtured through inclusive finance, blossomed into a thriving international enterprise.
Despite these successes, he cautioned that stark inequalities persist in the digital age. "Over 1.7 billion people remain unbanked, and millions lack access to meaningful internet connectivity," he said, calling for urgent global collaboration to ensure that technology, trade policies, and financial systems are inclusive rather than exclusionary.
Quoting Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, he concluded, "Poverty is not created by poor people. It is created by the institutions and systems we design."
Earlier in the day, Professor Chowdhury joined the exclusive "AI Research Leadership" presidents' roundtable, held in collaboration with Tsinghua University at Macau University of Science and Technology, where he exchanged insights on the future of artificial intelligence in academic research.
