The 2016 Social Venture Plan Showcase took place on March 1st. Twenty-two teams participated in the qualifying round.
The annual competition teaches students the necessary skills to devise and start up a business. The organizers identify promising teams and nurture them. The competition also aims to popularize Project-based education and the “All for Community” movement at Duy Tan University.
Dr. Vo Thanh Hai addresses the event
Dr. Vo Thanh Hai, DTU Vice-Provost, said: “This is the third year that DTU has hosted this competition, after eight years of collaboration with well-known universities worldwide and ten years making a transition into a credit-based education system. Students can innovate and put their ideas into practice. The judges will select the five best projects for participation in the international finals in Turk, Finland in June.”
Mr. Ly Dinh Quan, Deputy Director of the Danang Business Incubator said: “DTU is a leader in developing community projects and is admired for feeding such highly qualified graduates into the local workforce. The Startup Community and Business Incubator was founded in Danang in late 2015 We have worked on several startup projects and the DTU Social Venture Plan competition will contribute significantly to the development of Danang.”
Participants defend their projects
At the Showcase, participating teams presented about the concepts, mechanics and benefits of their projects in English. Twenty-two projects were prepared by the teams. Some projects were socially important, such as: “Reviving the Cam Nam Sleeping Mat Craft-Village” by the DTU-Vision team, “Founding Traditional Restaurants With Ex-Addict Waiters”, to alleviate preconceptions about addicts and create jobs for them while they integrate back into the community, and health-based projects, like “The Benefits of Garlic” by the Happy Garlic team.
Sharing practical experience gained from the competition, Huynh Kim Yen Thao of DTU K18 KTR1 said: “This is a very useful way of putting theory into practice, of demonstrating our skills and sharing information. The competition increases our confidence, creativity, teamwork and English and social skills, making it easier for us to integrate into international careers on graduation.”
The jury will select the best and most feasible projects for the finals. Prizes amount to 40 million VND, including team and individuals awards for ideas and plans submitted in English.
(Media Center)