Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus gave out degrees in the first convocation ceremony of the Albukhary International University (AIU) in Malaysia. Yunus is the first Chancellor of Albukhari International University located in Alor Setar in the state of Kedah in Malaysia. The convocation ceremony took place in the elegant convocation hall of the university on March 26 in the presence of the founder of the university, local dignitaries, ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions, political leaders, government officials, faculty members of the university. The university admits students from all around the world who cannot pay for their higher education. All expenses, including travel costs, are borne by the university. The university has set up a Yunus Social Business Centre and promotes 3 Zero clubs to create a 3 Zero world as advocated by Professor Yunus. 90% of the students of the university are foreign students. The University is established by the Al Bukhary Foundation. Yunus in his convocation speech invited students to create a new civilization before the current civilization based on profit-maximization destroys us completely. He said the time to create a new civilization is running out very quickly.
The university established a Yunus Social Business Centre soon after its establishment and it teaches social business across all faculties. Students at the university already created ten 3ZERO clubs with more clubs on the way. The University has offered to play the coordinating hub for all social business initiatives for Sabah state from all Yunus Social Business Centres in Malaysia. Representatives from organizations interested in social businesses in Malaysia and the representatives from Yunus Social Business Centres from six Malaysian universities flew to Alor Setar to attend a review conference of social businesses in Malaysia with Professor Yunus. AIU hosted the conference.