In 1990, 1,990 billion people (43.1% of the world population) lived on less than 1.25USD per day and 2,864 billion people (22.4%) survived with less than 2USD per day. In 2008, the figures for the two groups were 1,289 billion (22.4% of the world population) and 2,471 billion (43%) respectively (The World Bank, World Development Indicators, 2012). As can be seen from the statistics, the poverty rate significantly reduced after alomost 20 years, thanks to the growth in global economy and the efforts made by all the countries and the international community. Poverty, however, is still the one of the major concerns of human beings, especially those in South Asia and Sub-Saharan area.

Poverty is a complex global issue that has caused many problems related to living standards, economy, politics, society, culture, environment, ethics, etc. Thus, it is essential that nations themselves and the international community be committed to and put effort in eliminating poverty. According to the Millennium Declaration 2000 approved by the United Nations, poverty eradication is among the eight Millennium Development Goals - MDGs.

One topic of greatest concern is how effectively previous poverty eradication programmes have actually been organized. Besides NGOs, the private sectors as well as government agencies, universities and institutions of higher education also play significant roles in poverty alleviation. Universities have the capacity and the expertise that are necessary for solving problems related to poverty. With financial support from the private sectors, institutions of higher education can complement the initiatives of the government in poverty eradication.

The first strategy that universities can adopt is capacity building. There is an urgent need for core teams to be established at universities to help fight against poverty. These professionals will be responsible foe designing programmes for the target group. Through regional co-operation, their expertise can be optimally utilized not only to address the common plights experienced by agricultural and rural communities but also to reach out to poor urban communities. The programmes that are designed for different target groups under the ambit of education will include motivational and spiritual courses, skill enhancement training, entrepreneurship strategies, initiation of economic activities, financial and management programmes.