Training Programs
Recognizing the diverse backgrounds of participants, the International Program Department offers several training programs to best meet the individual needs of its participants.
GRAMEEN INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE PROGRAM
Grameen Bank and Grameen Trust jointly organize 2-3 International Dialogue Programs a year for potential replications of the Grameen model throughout the world. The Dialogue is intended to provide an immersion into the Grameen milieu, to assist in the design of Grameen type credit programs, and to share the experiences of implementing and adopting the Grameen Bank approach.
Participants in the dialogues are generally potential replicators, the founders and/or chief executive of institutions who are in a position to take decisions on behalf of their organizations, regarding Grameen replication in their own contexts.
The International Dialogue Program is a 7-day program including the arrival and departure of the participants, visits to rural and urban microcredit programs in Grameen model in Bangladesh and sharing of experience among participants. Special Dialogues are also organized from time to time for participants from government and non-government agencies in different countries.
Interns and researchers are also welcome to participate as observers of the Dialogue Program for a small fee.
EXPOSURE VISIT PLUS TRAINING
Exposure visits are provided to gain first-hand knowledge on the philosophy and operations of Grameen Bank and may be organized any time, for any period. Participants may visit individually or in a group from a particular institution. A standard exposure visit includes a one-day briefing at the head office followed by a field visit (assignment to a branch), for few days and finally ending with a review, again at the head office.
GRAMEEN BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM
The Grameen Bank organizes basic training programs from for replicators of the Grameen model in different countries to impart training on the credit delivery-recovery mechanism of Grameen. The basic training program includes rules, accounting, and monitoring systems of Grameen Bank. For senior executives and field workers different courses are offered. Duration of these courses is three to four weeks.
The length of training visits vary; therefore, if you plan on a short stay, we advise you to come with a general understanding of how the Grameen Bank operates, in order to make your visit more productive, especially when in the field.
Training courses may be organized any time as per requirement of persons/institutions for any length of duration. Institutions/persons are requested to contact with General Manager mentioning their objectives for training.
MEDIA: PRESS & JOURNALISTS
This program is specifically designed for members of the press and media interested in filming documentaries about Grameen Bank, its operations, and its borrowers. Prior to making any travel arrangements for this purpose, participants must contact their respective embassies to obtain approval and clearance from the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Print & Publications Department. Upon receipt of approved documents, interested members should contact the Grameen Bank Head Office in Dhaka, to make further arrangements. For filming documentaries and/or interviews with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, please contact Ms. Lamiya Morshed (Yunus Secretariat) at [email protected]. For all other filming and media purposes, please contact the Grameen Bank International Program Department at[email protected].
RESEARCH
Researchers are also welcome to perform their research according to their own objectives for any length of duration. Researchers are required to send a Resume/CV along with an introductory letter from their respective institutions, as well as the purpose of their research, details of their research methodology, expected time frame, and whether or not they will be using a survey questionnaire.
INTERNSHIP
Students from various educational institutions from all over the world can join as unpaid intern at Grameen Bank. Interns can learn in depth, through field visits, about the philosophy and operational procedures of Grameen Bank, as well as the impact of Grameen on the economic and cultural life of Grameen Bank members and the community. Internship with Grameen Bank is open and flexible and there is no fixed schedule for internship. The flexibility of the internship allows interns to supplement their already established academic objectives. Interns are required to send a Resume/CV along with an introductory letter from their respective institutions. Internship Program Schedule/Itinerary
*This schedule is purely an outline and should not necessarily dictate the intern’s schedule. It is merely an aide to help guide the intern in obtaining a well-rounded experience at Grameen
Week 1:
• Meet with internship coordinator and fill out processing paperwork
• Visit Audio and Visual Department for power-pointpresentation outlining Grameen Bank and various aspects of the Grameen family
• Discuss with coordinator personal interests for the internship
• Consult with coordinator for more detailed information about the Grameen banking process and organization
• Discuss and plan village center day trip for first-hand exposure to Grameen
Week 2:
• Go on village visit
o Visits generally consist of:
? Meeting with branch manager at branch office
? Meeting center manager at village center accompanied by branch manager
? Attend center meeting to view loan repayment process and other center meeting activities
? Q&A session with center borrowers and managers about the various aspects of loans, businesses, the Grameen process and any other related issues
? If offered, tour the village and view borrower enterprises
• Return from visit and discuss any outstanding questions or issues with coordinator
• Plan for overnight visit to branch office and center
Week 3:
• Go on overnight village visit with coordinator (depending on coordinator availability) or interpreter
o This visit consists of the same general schedule as the day visit
• Return from visit and discuss any outstanding questions or issues with coordinator
• Plan for five day overnight visit to branch office
Week 4:
• Go on five day overnight branch visit with coordinator (depending on coordinator availability) or interpreter
o Activities will be the same as the previous visits but you will be attending more than one center meeting per day and at various locations
Week 5:
• Discuss any outstanding questions or issues with coordinator
• Plan for trip to Grameen sister companies to view active social businesses
Week 6:
• Visit various Grameen sister companies to view active social businesses
o Depending on how many businesses wish to be seen these visits can be limited to day or overnight ventures
• Return and discuss any outstanding questions or issues with coordinator
*From this point on, depending on the length of the intern’s stay in Bangladesh, the intern may pick and choose what they would like to further investigate such as more branch visits of varying length. Further exploration can be dependent on the region of the country, age and affluence of the branch, etc. These visits can also be catered to day, overnight, or five-day excursions. These choices are extremely flexible and are entirely up to the choice of the intern. However, coordinators must verify and construct each of these trips due to local circumstances.
*Coordinators are flexible in attempting to accommodate all interns’ interests and we would request that you do the same when requesting your proposed schedule. Also, again depending on the intern’s length of stay, the schedule detailed above can be possibly compressed and altered. Please consult with your coordinator to plan out the best schedule given your personal constraints.
*As stated in the internship FAQ, the internship is a learning focused experience. Interns are expected to take personal initiative to facilitate this. Coordinators are available to assist in making this possible; therefore it is necessary for interns to express their particular interests to their coordinators so that they may help guide them. However, interns must be mindful that there are certain constraints by which the coordinators must make their decisions on and we ask the interns to be flexible to any constraints that may arise.
