On July 26th, as part of the “Social Innovation Linkages for Knowledge Exchange Networks (SILKEN)” project, DTU held an online and offline workshop entitled: “Global Connections for Social Innovation”. The event provided DTU lecturers and staff with a clearer understanding of social innovation in the UK and Vietnam and was a chance to connect members on the topic of social impact developing universities.
Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang speaks
The workshop was attended by Ms. Tran Thi Hong Gam, Deputy-Director of Education and Society at the British Council Vietnam; Mr. Mark Anderson, Research & Innovation Office Director and Ms. Natalia Popielska, EU/International Projects Coordinator at the Research & Innovation Office, both from Glasgow Caledonian University in the UK; Dr. Diah Wihardini, Director of BINUS Global at Bina Nusantara University in Indonesia; Mr. Le Hoang Phuc, Deputy-Director of the Danang Investment Promotion Agency; Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang, DTU Vice-Provost; DTU lecturers and staff and representatives from several local authorities and businesses;
SILKEN Vietnam is sponsored by the British Council in Vietnam, in partnership with two UK universities, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Northampton, and six Vietnamese universities: DTU; the National Economics University; the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry; the Hue University of Agriculture & Forestry; the University of Social Sciences & Humanities; and the University of Languages & International Studies (ULIS), at Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi. The project aims to create and operate innovative social support centers at universities, with the objective of developing curricula, research, academic exchanges, internationalization, and incubation, and establish a global network to address the problems that afflict society today.
Attendees
Opening the workshop, Ms. Tran Thi Hong Gam said: “Our topic today is equally important to universities and to us all. We have made sustained efforts to respond to the UN sustainability development goals and can now find ways about how universities can address global challenges and advances for sustainable development, through both the UK-VN partnership and the SILKEN project alike. Challenges, such as climate change, inequality, poverty and limited access to basic education, obligate us to contribute more to solving them. Your innovative universities are leaders in teaching and disseminating knowledge so we now have the power to influence future leaders, scientists and policymakers who will drive positive change in our respective countries.
I am interested to hear that DTU, a member of the SILKEN network, was listed in the 2022 worldwide impact rankings. Our objective, in the ongoing global partnership and our commitment to the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, is to give the UK and Vietnamese university partners stronger impact by implementing an innovative social model in Vietnamese universities, particularly between the six SILKEN members. An integral part of the project is the exchange of knowledge and capacity building, and today we can discuss in detail how we can respond to the UN sustainability development goals. I hope that our Vietnamese university members will be able to actively participate by taking advantage of their THE impact ranking indicators and strengthening their role in addressing community challenges with meaningful impact.”
The theme of the workshop was: "Global Connection for Social Innovation", and focused on sharing experiences and learning from successful, innovative businesses, organizations and individual attendees about:
- A policy brief on Incubation and Entrepreneurship of Danang
- Case studies: Areca Palm leaves
- The Hoian Express
- The Happiness Shop: a recycling business model
Tentative ideas were discussed to investigate practical solutions and ways to promote the development of the community and society in general.
Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang said: “For the past year, as a member of SILKEN Vietnam, DTU has hosted and participated in many significant activities. Today’s workshop is crucial for students and lecturers to learn how to drive changes in our society. Specifically, we will explore ways of fostering local social innovation through global connections. Thanks go to Ms. Tran Thi Hong Gam and her team at the British Council for initiating the SILKEN project and especially to Mr. Anderson, Ms. Natalia and others for facilitating this program so smoothly. Most of all we thank Deputy-Director Le Hoang Phuc from the Danang Investment Promotion agency and local business owners and executives from Danang. You helped us make this program happen.”
(Media Center)