The object

The Solvay Business School, part of Université Libre de Bruxelles, is establishing an international knowledge centre to study and promote the socially responsible management practices that foster Human Sustainable Development (SHD) in poor countries.
These include practices in the private – corporate and non-corporate – and public sectors, involving domestic & international players. A special emphasis is put on the interaction of the activities of the different actors – MNCs, NGOs, Government, Multilateral organizations.
Sustainable Human Development refers to the process of long term development of poor countries in ways that are shared by all sectors of society, with a fundamental emphasis in the alleviation of poverty and the increase in the standards of living of the middle class.

The goals

The centre aims at:
• carrying out and supporting academic research with the goal of publication in top international journals
• supporting policy-focused research and promoting its interaction with academic research
• supporting the development of educational programs and modules at several levels (e.g.
undergraduate, post-graduate and executive education), in the context of the Solvay Business School, focusing on the object of the Center; for example, Microfinance, Social Responsibility, and Managing for Developing Countries.
• supporting the organization of conferences, seminars and public lectures that disseminate the debate on the issues of SHD to all sectors of civil society, in ways that will also contribute to inform academic research.

The people

Given the stated purpose of producing and disseminating rigorous and useful research about the issues of SHD, a key element is the need to maximize its human resources in ways that ensure that critical mass will be reached as soon as possible.
To this goal, the Center will develop two types of affiliation
1. Associates: to federate all potential resources within the SBS and, eventually, the ULB
2. Researchers: to engage post-docs and PhD students under the explicit banner of the Center.
Unlike the first group, which will be only loosely affiliated with the Center, this group will be
publishing under the Center’s name. In order to maximize the flow of ideas, the Center will recruit its research staff from the international market, including Europe and the United States, and outside the ULB. Ultimate staffing objective is to develop a team of 5-7 Researchers.
It is a main goal the Associates and Researches create joint projects of research to which the Center will contribute by finding sources of funding. For this, the Center should develop an extensive network, particularly with the corporate sector, in order to attract their interest in funding such projects.

The Activities

• Research Activities
- Hosting external, internationally renowned researchers and high-ranked practitioners for
short-term stays during which they will develop their research within the Center, interact
with the researchers at the Center, undertake public lectures and research seminars.
- Create a monthly or weekly seminar, inviting researchers from Europe, to encourage the
collaboration of the Center’s staff with outside researchers.
- Create a Website for the dissemination of the results of the Center
- Create a working paper series which will disseminate the research of the staff and all other involved.
- Acquire databases and make them available to all Associates in ways that help the
production of research related to the object of the Center.
• Educational Activities
- Support the development of the European Microfinance Program, in the Solvay Business School.
- Encourage and fund the development of case-studies that will be used in the classroom.
One potential idea is to find ways to integrate the development of these case-studies with
academic research.
• Finally, the Center will sponsor a yearly conference, possibly in collaboration with other
institutions.

The Funding

The Center’s initial funding derives from a grant from Belgacom, destined to the engagement of a post-doc. The Centre is also supported by the Marie & Alain Philippson Chair in Managing for Sustainable Development, whose holder will operate as director of the Centre. The Centre will strive to raise additional funding for its activities, autonomously and within the fund-raising activities of the SBS.

The short-term goals

Academic year 2005 / 2006
Research track
• Inventory and initial contact with potential associates
• Definition of research programs
• Begin the seminar series and creation of an electronic Newsletter and a Website
• Recruitment of post-doc (once pooling done), under the Belgacom sponsorship
• Develop contacts with other related centers to encourage partnerships and expand the network.
• Intensive fund-raising for projected, future activities.
Educational track
• Development of the first European Microfinance Program

The European Microfinance Program

The University of Paris-Dauphine, the Solvay Business School (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Wageningen Universiteit (Netherlands) and PlaNet Finance have launched in October 2005 the first program involving multiple European universities in microfinance: the European Microfinance Program (EMP).

The EMP is a one-year postgraduate program specialized in microfinance in developing countries. It aims at training microfinance experts and future microfinance managers, who will contribute to the development of microfinance institutions worldwide in accordance to the highest international standards.

Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, this training intends to significantly reduce the existing gap between the way Northern and Southern countries consider the sector of microfinance. Accessible to all those wanting to specialise further in microfinance, evening lessons will be held in Brussels during the first year and courses will be delivered in English.

The program lasts one year and each of the three partner universities plus PlaNet Finance deliver 3 to 4 lectures. The remaining credits are acquired through the final assignment and field internship. The EMP includes subjects such as:

? Development issues and their link with microfinance;
? Tools for financial analysis;
? Microeconomics, contracting and financial products;
? Macroeconomics and regulation;
? Rural and urban microfinance issues.

The program unfolds in three stages: September to January, during which the student will follow the first two modules: "Microfinance in practice" and "Microfinance and international development". These first two modules will be held in Brussels at Solvay Business School. Professors from Paris Dauphine and Wageningen University will travel to Brussels to deliver their lectures. Visiting professors will deliver courses in three intensive three-day sessions. From February to Mid-March, the module "The microfinance environment" will also be delivered in Brussels at Solvay Business School. An early exam session will also be held in March. Finally, from May to September students will complete a 2 to 4-month field internship . As of the beginning of the second semester PlaNet Finance will coordinate with students trainee positions preferably at microfinance institutions in developing countries.
The EMP represents an innovative initiative which will provide training in microfinance delivered by academics and well-known professionals. In fact, this program answers to an increasing demand for training in development actions, and particularly in microfinance.

www.europeanmicrofinanceprogram.org