NKU in Bangladesh
Eight students from NKU's Master of Public Administration program are completing an internship in Bangladesh at the internationally renowned Grameen Bank, a micro-credit institution that lends small amounts of money to the rural poor in order to spur economic growth. Students have the opportunity through their four-week internship to learn about the culture, participate in field visits to banks and witness how lending what amounts to a few American dollars can change lives.
Follow along as students blog about their experiences:
- Lynne's Bangladesh Blog
- Brandi's Bangladesh Blog
- Mike's Bangladesh Blog
- Tim's Bangladesh Blog
- Tori's Bangladesh Blog
About the Internship
Grameen Bank was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for its work to enhance peace by reducing poverty. Unlike traditional banking practices, which require collateral or proof of income in order to secure credit, Grameen Bank's business model is built on mutual trust, participation and creativity. Loans can go to people with no assets. The bank issues small loans with reasonable interest, and repayment terms can be stretched over long periods of time to meet the needs of borrowers.
With a nearly 97% loan recovery rate, Grameen Bank has been hugely successful in extending financial resources to those who need them most.
NKU's interim chair of the Political Science and Criminal Justice department, Dr. Shamima Ahmed, is teaching the course.
Dr. Ahmed says the internship is the perfect complement for the MPA students who are studying nonprofit management. "During the internship, our students will learn how Grameen Bank makes financial decisions; they will see how the recipients utilize their funds. Then they will take what they have learned and develop a plan on how they would implement a micro-credit initiative in their own community."