The Syed Humayun Kabir Memorial Research Symposium 2026

Justice, Capabilities and Wellbeing

The Syed Humayun Kabir Memorial Research Symposium 2026 brings together researchers, academics, policymakers, development practitioners and students to examine how Bangladesh can advance a more just and inclusive model of human development. Jointly organized by Banglar Pathshala Foundation and SAJIDA Foundation, the symposium fosters evidence-informed dialogue on the relationship between justice, capabilities, wellbeing and public policy.

Inspired by the Capability Approach developed by Professor Amartya Sen, the symposium begins not with abstract theory but with empirical evidence — three major SAJIDA Foundation research studies on integrated health and livelihood interventions, urban resilience and mental wellbeing, and climate adaptation among vulnerable communities.

Institution Building at the Centre

When Syed Humayun Kabir secured Pfizer’s agreement to transfer 51% of its Bangladesh shareholding to SAJIDA in 1991, the resulting institution — Renata Limited — became both a commercial enterprise and, through its ownership structure, a permanent engine for social investment, one that continues to fund SAJIDA’s development work more than three decades later.

The Spirit of the Symposium

This is intended as a conversation involving researchers and development practitioners. Agreement, disagreement, methodological critique and alternative interpretations are all welcome. The aim is not to prove that every programme succeeded, but to understand more precisely what enables people to convert resources and interventions into lasting freedoms, agency and wellbeing.