Network of universities

The Yunus Social Business Network Barcelona (YSBNB) is a network of Catalan universities that designs and implements international action research projects, promoting the generation of social innovation and cooperation between academia and SSE organizations. The participating universities are:

Research-action projects

The YSBNB begins action research projects in different themes:

  • Agroecology

  • Anti-racism and non-discrimination

  • Digitalisation and technology for social transformation

  • Care economy

  • Higher education linked to the SSE

  • Youth empowerment

  • Entrepreneurship and social enterprise
  • Ethical Finance
  • Sustainable housing

  • Strategic rural world

  • Active citizen participation
  • Energy transition

Transversal values

The YSBNB is governed by a series of fundamental cross-cutting values:

Intercooperation

We promote intercooperation between social and solidarity economy organisations, universities, research centres, vocational training centres and public bodies.

Quality and transmission of knowledge

We promote research-action projects that bring the university world closer to social enterprise and the third sector.

Involvement and proximity

Following the European principle of “think global, act local”, the projects we develop have a European dimension while seeking to develop activities within the territories.

People at the center

Our projects are based on the social and solidarity economy, putting people and working and user communities at the centre.

Social transformation

We work from the social and solidarity economy to provide innovative solutions to current social, economic, environmental, educational and territorial challenges.

Equality and equity

We apply an intersectional perspective and promote the active participation of minority and minoritized groups, focusing on those in vulnerable situations.

Origins

The YSBCNB was born from the hand of the Social Business City Barcelona Association (2016), which is part of the international Social Business movement, a large global network made up of universities, research centers and social organizations from all over the world committed to social transformation.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner 2006, leads an international movement to spread the concept of social enterprise around the world. Her concern stems from social inequalities and the need to create a tool to fight against the growth of inequality, believing that a transformation of the socio-economic system is necessary.

The Social Business City initiative generates, in the different territories that want to join, meeting spaces for agents who use social enterprise (ES) and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) as tools to respond to local inequalities.

The Yunus Social Business Centers are research and knowledge generation centers focused on bringing social enterprise closer to the academic field. In the case of Barcelona, a network was set up that brings together different universities.

You can find more details on the Yunus Centre website.

Origins

The YSBCNB was born from the hand of the Social Business City Barcelona Association (2016), which is part of the international Social Business movement, a large global network made up of universities, research centers and social organizations from all over the world committed to social transformation. Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner 2006, leads an international movement to spread the concept of social enterprise around the world. Her concern stems from social inequalities and the need to create a tool to fight against the growth of inequality, believing that a transformation of the socio-economic system is necessary.

The Social Business City initiative generates, in the different territories that want to join, meeting spaces for agents who use social enterprise (ES) and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) as tools to respond to local inequalities.

The Yunus Social Business Centers are research and knowledge generation centers focused on bringing social enterprise closer to the academic field. In the case of Barcelona, a network was set up that brings together different universities. You can find more details on the Yunus Centre website.