VNU Startup Ideas - Innovation Contest 2021 is organized by VNU, with the support of Sunwah Group, with the desire to promote the development of innovative entrepreneurial spirit throughout VNU, creating an environment for VNU students and graduate students to apply their acquired knowledge into practice as well as to discover and nurture creative ideas.

VNU Vice President Pham Bao Son attended, spoke and presented prizes at the event.

 

 Mr. Jesse Choi, Director of Sunwah Innovations

Mr. Jesse Choi, Director of Sunwah Innovations expressed his honor to accompany VNU in organizing and sponsoring the contest, especially when the final was held at ULIS Cultural Center - Jonathan KS Choi - the symbol of the long-term cooperation relationship between Sunwah Group and VNU.

“This is also an important milestone of the cooperation relationship between Sunwah Group and VNU, especially in the field of innovation, with the goal of encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of students and creating a premise to reach out. During the past 10 years of cooperation and development with many projects in the fields of education, community activities and international exchange, Sunwah Group has always cherished VNU as a close, long-term partner, worthy of a leading national and regional education institution," shared Mr. Jesse Choi.

Mr. Jesse Choi believes that, with VNU's extensive network of advisors and resources from Sunwah Innovations as well as other partners, the VNU Startup Ideas - Innovations 2021 Contest will create a premise and establish an environment. an incubator and launch pad for future young entrepreneurs.

Mr. Pham Hong Quat, Ministry of Science and Technology said, identifying universities as the cradle of the startup ecosystem, the project "Supporting the national innovation startup ecosystem until 2025" (Project 844) has so far supported many of universities and colleges in many provinces and cities across the country to implement startup support programs. Appreciating VNU's role in implementing the tasks of Project 844, he believes that the VNU Startup Ideas - Innovation Contest 2021 will bring valuable opportunities for students, trainees with their own startup ideas.

VNU Vice President Pham Bao Son said that, with the mission of a leading multi-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary higher education center in the country, a major national science, technology and innovation organization, VNU always identifies a high responsibility in training for the comprehensive development of learners, linking training with scientific research, innovation, and improving students' employability.

With the orientation to become a research university associated with innovation, in recent years, VNU has paid special attention to promoting innovation activities and innovative start-ups. VNU has gradually introduced into the training program contents on entrepreneurship and innovation, fostering knowledge and skills on entrepreneurship for learners; develop research results in the direction of meeting market requirements, ready to put into innovative start-up activities of lecturers, scientists and learners. Entrepreneurship competitions held at the affiliated faculties, member universities and VNU are also an important way to encourage the development of innovative start-ups at VNU.

The VNU Startup Ideas - Innovation Contest 2021 started in June 2021, has attracted 43 entries, and after the selection rounds so far, 12 teams are eligible for the final round. The Competition Organizing Committee has developed a training plan for the teams participating in the Finals. The training process took place within half a month (from October 2, 2021 to October 16, 2021) with the participation of leading experts in the innovative startup ecosystem to support the teams to complete the competition, improve ideas/projects from the following angles: Research and market orientation; Product development; Business planning skills; Adjusting business model; Some issues on protection of intellectual property rights with start-ups; "pitching" skill to seek investors.

The SALESWORKS team at the final round

 

At the final round, the SALESWORKS team from the University of Economics with the Salework e-commerce sales management platform project won the First prize.

The second prize belonged to the GAMMA BOX team from the International School with the Project: Platform for creating marketing campaigns through gamification.

Team 3SR of the VNU University of Education with the project "Smart waste recycling social network" won the third prize and the most favorite team award through voting.

The consolation prize went to the ULISOUL team from the VNU University of Languages and International Studies with the ULISOUL project and the FRUIT COMPOD team, from the VNU University of Natural Sciences with the project on developing technology for processing and commercializing tropical fruit composites.