NSU hosts talk on geopolitics, climate change and social impact

North South University's Center for Social Impact and Sustainability held a talk on geopolitics, climate change and social impact in Dhaka on December 18.

The session took place at the university's Syndicate Hall and focused on the links between regional geopolitics, environmental sustainability and the role of businesses in driving social impact, with attention to Bangladesh and South Asia.

The keynote speech was delivered by Rimi Zakaria, Professor of Management at the College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. She spoke about how multinational and local companies in Bangladesh are using Environmental, Social and Governance frameworks to strengthen supply chains and meet global sustainability expectations.

Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor of North South University, also spoke at the event. He discussed local and global challenges linked to sustainability, social business, geopolitics and climate change, and stressed the role of universities, policymakers and cross-sector collaboration.

The session was chaired by Abdul Hannan Chowdhury and moderated by Sharif Nurul Ahkam, Director of the Center for Social Impact and Sustainability. The discussion referred to initiatives such as the EBL Climate Change Action Awards, the Sustainability Summit 2025 and ESG capacity-building programmes supported by Bangladesh Bank, alongside corporate examples including Unilever's climate and plastic reduction efforts.

Speakers also pointed to challenges, including the lack of a national framework for social enterprises, regulatory gaps, weak enforcement and governance constraints. They discussed possible strategies to address funding limits, policy gaps and climate risks.

Students, faculty members and university officials attended the programme. The session ended with a question-and-answer segment.