In recent years, the government has focused on building business environment and encouraging entrepreneurial activity. In order to contribute to the dissemination of the entrepreneurial mentality among students, to create an academic playground for the students in applying the theory to the local reality as well as linking research with students of others universities, Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland organized the program “ Social Entrepreneurship For Economic Development – SEED” in Viet Nam 2018.
The SEED program is developed and implemented by the ASEAN Learning Network Council (ALNC) and the Swiss- ASEAN Learning and Teaching Association (SALT) which are non-governmental and non-profit organizations. ALN which is affiliated in the training and research include Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), San Beda University (Philippines), Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam), University Malaysia Kelantan (Malaysia), Prince of Songkla University (Thailand) and University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).
FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, a member of SALT, will collaborate with Banking University of Ho Chi Minh city (by Center for International Training and Cooperation- CITC), responsible for organization and implementation of SEED Viet Nam 2018.
1. OBJECTS OF SEED 2018 in Viet Nam
1.1 Training aims
The participants will be equipped with more specialized skills and soft skills to be able to carry out your work creatively. Furthermore, you can add knowledge to improve the effectiveness of research in the future, and through it can help improve the English skills for Vietnamese students as well as exchange of cultures among nations.
1.2 Research aims
Participants are trained in social mapping methods to understand the culture, lifestyle and organizational structure of the locality. This method includes observation, interviewing, and social mapping skills. Through the SEED, participants will develop research skills in group, problem identification skills, and processing in the relationship between economic and social.
1.3 Community aims
The University’s research in ALN must be community- oriented as the guiding principal of social enterprises. The project or option proposes which made by the group should be feasible to serve local people where have participants in SEED. Creating awareness about training activities must be linked to the interests of the community.
1.4 International cooperation aims
Expand cooperation between universities in ASEAN and Europe through SEED 2018 in Viet Nam.
2. CONTENT OF SEED PROGRAM 2018
- Survey the area where the trainee will live and study. Establishing research directions and a list of economic activities in the locality can be made in the absence of financial resources and human resources as well as untapped potentials available.
- Survey of customs, habits of local people affecting the production process and direction of improvement.
- A workshop on research directions will be conducted before the ALNC.
- Creating international student groups (including Vietnamese students, students from ASEAN and Europe) conduct surveys and projects based on local industry.
- Creating groups of Vietnamese students work independently with SEED as a testing activity.
- Disseminate SEED 2018 projects to local people, businesses, receive comments and through government.
- Transfer complete projects to local (households, enterprises, communes, districts and credit institutions in the area).
- Hold workshops on some of the SEED 2018 research areas.
3. FORMS OF IMPLEMENTATION
- Collaborative scientific research is linked to local economic development. The themes will be suggested by local authorities according to local needs, combine to academic requirements from the program.
- Research subjects: Social enterprises, enterprises and business households that have activities similar to those of social enterprises as defined in Article 10 of the Enterprise Law 2014.
- Field survey in group.
- Workshop
- Conduct experimental place.
4. EXPECTED TIME AND LOCATION TO CONDUCT SEED 2018
- Execution time: The preparatory work for the SEED conducted in 1/8/2018- 12/8/2018 will not be counted
- Location: in some communes / towns of Tien Giang province
5. THE EXPECTED RESULTS OF SEED 2018 IN VIETNAM
- On the learner side: training skills in researching a project/ plan serves socio-economic development, improving communication skills, dealing with the practical issues in a practical way, teamwork skills, cultural exchange with international students and practice in English. For students who do not join in the SEED, but with the implementation of the SEED to create a learning environment, competition with the application of experiences, methods derived from the SEED, create dynamism and creativity in the future when leaving school.
- On the faculty: improve teaching skills, practical research for social life; consolidate and develop the ability to use English in training activities; improve the ability to organize and lead research groups, and in the long term, bring new teaching methods to schools at the same level in the region.
- On the university side: Participating in the SEED program is step by step towards student exchange programs, exchange of lecturers with affiliated schools. Besides, expand exchanges, research collaboration, training with ALN school organization as well as with the local in the country as important training activities.
- On the local area side where SEED is implemented: there are business and production projects from different perspectives for selecting local economic development; especially the financial estimation of the projects will serve as a reference base for banks and credit institutions located in the area to develop loan limits or capital support. For the local household economies, training will be provided by supporting SEED research teams, adjust their socio-economic activities in a positive manner in line with the state's development direction. Local activities and products will be promoted internationally through research by international members take part in SEED implementation and application in their own country.
6. COSTS
- Foreign students: 800 CHF (students from ALNC and SALT 600 CHF)
- Vietnamese students: VND 4,000,000 (selection criteria, good at English, knowledge of social enterprise, participation in community activities)
7. INFORMATION OF PARTNERS
- SALT: http://saltorg.net/project/Social-entrepreneurship-for-economic-development-14
- ALNC: http://aseanlearningnetwo5.wixsite.com/home