SIL: A Brief History
SIL was founded in 2022 as a student-led initiative within BRAC University by a dedicated team led by Srijan Banik, Hasibul Hasan Ahmed and Aurchi Komolika. The lab was established under the endorsement of the Dean of the School of General Education, Joint-Director of Student Life, and Registrar of the University with Dr Sebastian Groh as its Strategic advisor.
The initial success of SIL can be attributed to the diligent efforts of the founding team, which consisted of 16 founding members, among them some Millennium Fellows and engaged students from the university. Collectively, they played a pivotal role in establishing SIL as a student organization within BRAC University. See the full list of the founding team members and the current team here.
Recognition and Transition:
The Social Impact Lab (SIL) was founded in 2022 by Srijan Banik, Hasibul Hasan Ahmed, and Aurchi Komolika from BRAC University. Upon graduation, Srijan was hired in 2023 to run the lab full-time as its Coordinator. This marked SIL's official incorporation as an operational unit under the School of General Education, administered through the Open Society University Network Project hiring. The other two co-founders, Aurchi Komolika and Hasibul Hasan Ahmed, continued to serve as the senior-most student leaders within the Student Administrative Team until 2024, providing invaluable guidance and mentorship. Later, upon Hasib’s graduation, Hasib was hired as the Coordinator of the lab to lead its activities. Meanwhile, Srijan, Aurchi, and all other founding members collectively transitioned to offer advisory support, ensuring the lab’s continued growth. They remain permanent members, committed to the future expansion of SIL, with the vision of formally introducing a global hub for changemakers.
Since 2022, SIL achieved numerous recognition. In April 2024 Srijan Banik, the former coordinator of SIL, was invited to speak at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at the ECOSOC Youth forum to talk about its unique mission of creating an army of impact entrepreneurs at the global south. Click here to watch a part of his speech.
Besides, in December Hasibul Hasan Ahmed, Coordinator of Social Impact, has been featured in We Are Restless. Which is an international journal by Restless Development, in their December volume featuring his long 6-year journey in civic-engagement and social impact.
Click here to read the article. In addition to that, he managed to affiliate with the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy and also attained seed-funding for conservational projects.
Affiliation:
SIL operates within the School of General Education at BRAC University, adhering to a focus on student-led projects and social responsibility.
Student-Led Structure:
SIL is dedicated to its student-led origins. The Student Administrative Team, composed entirely of students, spearheads the Lab's operations, ensuring a dynamic environment for student leadership and development.
