Established in 2005, the United Nations International Year of Microcredit, The Lehigh University's Microfinance Program. housed in the Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise, aims to foster and promote understanding of the development and impact of microfinance locally and globally. To accomplish these goals, the Program supports faculty research, conferences and workshops, curriculum development, technology innovation projects in partnership with Microfinance Institutions globally, and international study abroad opportunities, and works closely with departments and programs throughout the university, including International Relations Department, the Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development programs, and the Social Entrepreneurship activities of the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship. The Microfinance Program is one of the few programs nationwide housed in a department of business and economics that is devoted to research and teaching of this pathbreaking approach to development.
The related student Microfinance Club is a vibrant and active campus organization. Activities include an internship program with microfinance institutions both domestically and internationally, onsite visits to microfinance organizations, fundraising for microfinance institutions in the developing and developed world, assisting local microentrepreneurs to grow their business, and inviting well-known practitioners to share their expertise and best practices on campus.
