Dr. Satyajit Majumdar (left) and Dr. Samapati Guha from the TATA Institute of Social Sciences

By Sudish Shrestha

Nov. 30, 2010 Waltham, MASS. -- Social entrepreneurship can be a driving force in addressing pressing social challenges in India according to Dr. Satyajit Majumdar and Dr. Samapati Guha, professors at the School of Management & Labor Studies at the TATA Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India. “Stimulating social change will have a trickledown effect… it will have a multiplier positive effect in the society,” Majumdar said.

Majumdar and Guha shared background on the institute’s MA in Social Entrepreneurship, at the invitation of IBS Assistant Professor Preeta Banerjee, over a recent luncheon sponsored by the Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship. The program is highly selective and of 1,300 applicants enrolls 25 students with prior field experience in sustainable development or a great passion for social change.

Students complete a rigorous curriculum which enables them to “organize, create and manage a venture by themselves to achieve social change that will bring about positive impact in the lives of rural poor in India,” said Majumdar. Candidates must also complete an internship in rural settings in India tackling issues such as hydroelectricity generation, sustainable development and clean drinking water. “We want the students to start their own venture that would benefit the society once they graduate,” he continued.

Banerjee praised the luncheon which included representatives from the Office of Global Affairs and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. “The event was a great meeting of the minds to generate ideas that will enhance our Global Green MBA here at IBS,” she said.