Completed Services
SMDI has already had significant impact on the students at its universities, the general public and its partnering institutions in the developing world. Its fellows and oversight have been working tirelessly for informed support for international development.
In Summer 2009 SMDI co-created the “Social Business Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid”-Course at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The course is headed by Professor Harry Barkema and co-lead by SMDI.
At the moment, the Master students from this course are starting to develop their own social businesses.
In the summer SMDI also facilitated the internships of five students from leading universities at different development organizations around the world.
In Autum 2009 SMDI started to work with different student publications and published research papers on development and microfinance in them and on its website. Read them here.
In late 2009 SMDI started a major support campaign for other student development organizations at leading universities and helped to set up the King’s College London Social Business Society; the Oxford Microfinance Initiative and other student societies.
In February 2010 SMDI completed research work done for the United Youth Development Organisation- a youth -led NGO that create job opportunities for young persons through microfinance - regarding the question whether MFIs in Sub-Saharan Africa do not sufficiently provide services to youths. Read the full research project - Microfinance Services for Youth in the Sub- Saharan African Region
In April 2010, SMDI completed research work for UNITUS Capital titled "Unitus Capital Research Project - A Small-Scale Clean Energy Indian Market Analysis". For the full research, please click here.
Over the spring period 2010 a team of SMDI Fellows finished an assessment of the current social investment market - which will be used for developping investment strategies for partners and the Initiative.
Also over spring two SMDI Fellows worked on research for BRAC in Bangladesh and Shivia in India. Some of the events SMDI held and co-organised include:
In 2009/2010 SMDI held various events at the London School of Economics and facilitated events of other organizations. See some of those below:
30 October, 2009
TATA Motor Vice-President on Business Innovation - Event facilitated by SMDI – at the London School of Economics
12 November, 2009
4-panelists introduction (BRAC; Creative Labs, YAO; Microfinance without Borders) - with LSESU Microfinance Society and LSESU Development Society - Internship support at this event – at the London School of Economics
26 November, 2009
Co-founder of SHIVIA, Olly Donnelly, gave a talk on “Microfinance- working at the grassroots” – at the London School of Economics
8 December, 2009
Movirtu (social business) presentation at the London School of Economics
18 January, 2010
Panel discussion on Social Enterprise in South Asia with Dr. Shai Vyakarnam, Judge School of Business & Dr. Amlan Roy, Credit Suisse and LSE Financial Markets Group
February 2010
Microfinance Introductory Course with Expert Sadrudin Akbarali for up to 100 students in three sessions at LSE
March 2010
Co-Organiser of the LSE Development Week with experts to topics ranging from social entrepreneurship to development in agriculture