Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, has inspired the micro credit movement around the world. Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Besides the Nobel Prize, Professor Yunus has been awarded numerous awards including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom 2009, Global Humanitarian Award 2008, RED CROSS Gold Medal 2007, Harvard University Neustadt Award 2006, The Economist Innovation Award 2004, Colombian National Merit Order Award 2003, Mahatma Gandhi Award 2002, Ho Chi Minh Award 2001, King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Award 2000, Award of the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Senate 2000, Rotary Award for World Understanding 1999, International Simon Bolivar Prize 1996, World Food Prize 1994, CARE Humanitarian Award 1993, Bangladesh Central Bank Award 1985, Ramon Magsaysay Award 1984 etc. in recognition for his outstanding contribution toward poverty reduction, world peace and human development.

Professor Yunus founded Grameen Shikkha, a not-for-profit social enterprise incorporated under the Companies Act 1994, to promote development of education in the country especially amongst the poor and disadvantaged and has been its Chairperson since Shikkha was established in 1997. He has been working for Shikkha on a fully voluntary basis.