Social Impact Lab: BRAC University’s Engine for Student-Led Civic Engagement

OSUN partner institution BRAC University in Mohakhali, Bangladesh, has launched a Social Impact Lab (SIL), the first student-led initiative on the campus. Led by OSUN Global Engagement Fellow Srijan Banik, the platform assists students working together to develop innovative social entrepreneurship projects and is supported by BRAC University’s School of General Education and the Office of Student Life.
 
At a recent inaugural ceremony on the BRACU campus, university administrators and high-level tech entrepreneurs praised the groundbreaking endeavor. Sonia Bashir Kabir, BRAC University Trustee and Founder of SBK Tech Ventures and SBK Foundation, said, “I think with initiatives like the SIL, BRAC University is pioneering in civic engagement and impact projects in Bangladesh to the extent that a revolution has started.”
 
Dave Dowland, BRAC University Registrar, said that the university’s backing also serves to highlight the impacts that student-led social projects have made in Bangladesh. “(SIL) can be a great platform for all the changemakers who started out small…and set an example that can be followed at other campuses in Bangladesh or even across the globe.” 
 
SIL has already executed several innovative events linked to mental health awareness. On October 10th, World Mental Health Day, SIL joined with OSUN Global Engagement Fellows at the AUCA and BRACU campuses to create a “Global Wall of Goodwill,” where students shared their mental health concerns, feelings, and words of support for those who might be facing challenges to their mental welfare.⁠ More than 450 students and faculty from both campuses wrote words of affirmation on designated wallspace and had discussions about supporting those in need.
 “The Wall of Goodwill was like a test case scenario for us to see if we could initiate more cross-campus projects,” says project founder Banik. “That seemed to be a success, so we plan to do the same with other campuses.”
 
SIL has announced an upcoming project called “Letter to a Stranger,” in which individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health-related problems can exchange anonymous letters about their feelings, without being stigmatized.

Also during October, SIL helped pilot a demonstration of Inside Global, a software developed by SIL member Farhin Ahmed that provides virtual therapy sessions. With support from an OSUN microgrant, the venture is the product of a collaboration among student software developers, institutes and think tanks from around the world, with assistance from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Over 200 students took part in the highly successful project pilot, leading to an offer to provide exclusive VR therapy services on the BRACU campus.
 Inspired by last summer’s Get Engaged Conference at the AUCA campus in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, SIL and university leadership have consulted with OSUN about establishing a dedicated Civic Engagement Centre at BRACU, which has one of the largest student populations in the network. Samia Huq, OSUN Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the School of General Education, has formed a Civic Engagement Steering Committee at BRAC with hopes of advancing the initiative.
 
“As SIL moves forward with new ideas, we plan to design projects that can be implemented across different campuses across OSUN,” says Banik. “SIL is an innovation hub to convene student impact entrepreneurs and changemakers so they can design and co-create projects to bring about positive change. So we believe in a global collaboration to amplify that impact. OSUN can play a very important role in creating that global impact.”  
 
Follow Social Impact Lab on Instagram

Post Date: 11-28-2022