YSE Regional Returns to Hanoi as the First In-Person Programme

03 January 2023

YSE Regional Returns to Hanoi as the First In-Person Programme

The two-day workshop brings together 26 Vietnamese youths to boost their ability to start their social enterprises.

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Nine social enterprise teams gathered for the Singapore International Foundation (SIF)’s YSE Regional | Hanoi from 22 to 23 October. It was YSE Regional’s second time, but first in-person programme, in Hanoi. The SIF organised it together with Vietnam National University – International School (VNU-IS).

YSE Regional made its debut in Hanoi last year as a three-day online workshop. The 2021 edition, themed “Unlock your Digital Solutions for Social Good”, saw 22 participants with proposals that sought to bridge the digital divide and leverage technology to address social problems and uplift lives.

YSE Regional | Hanoi was designed to empower Vietnamese youths who aspire to take their social enterprises to the next level. This year’s theme was “Build Solutions for Sustainable Well-being”. It focused on ideas that promote health and well-being, including solutions for physical and mental healthcare, and caregiving support.

A total of 26 budding social entrepreneurs took part in workshops, business clinics and sharing sessions. These activities covered topics such as design thinking and growth strategies, social impact assessment and impact pitching.

One of the participants Mr Luong Duc Son was the Founder and CEO of Vietnam Together, a social networking mobile application that connects individuals who are looking for volunteering opportunities to organisations or communities in need.

He said: “The YSE Regional programme has given us the opportunity to connect with other young people from the social entrepreneurial space in Vietnam and beyond. We were able to envision the potential of our social enterprise after going through the workshops. It has been a very motivational experience and I have learned a lot.”

The youths will have the opportunity to further their YSE journey by applying to join the 2023 edition of the SIF’s main international programme, YSE Global. The annual YSE Global and YSE Regional programmes have, in their 13 years, nurtured more than 1,400 changemakers of 43 nationalities, and created an international network of 674 social enterprises.

26 young changemakers (in green) join a global YSE network, comprising more than 1,400 alumni, representing 43 nationalities.
In his opening remarks, Mr Jaya Ratnam, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Singapore in Vietnam, highlighted the strong ties between both countries and said that the partnership between the SIF and VNU-IS will provide valuable support for young social entrepreneurs in Vietnam.
Participants engage in icebreaker activities to get to know their peers and share their social enterprise ideas.
Four members of the YSE alumni network from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore lead the sessions on the SIF’s Design Thinking for Good Business curriculum. Prior to the workshop, the SIF equipped the YSE alumni with subject knowledge and training skills. These alumni – now seasoned social entrepreneurs – share practical concepts and their experience with the participants.
The Vietnamese participants sample Singaporean food and refreshments for lunch.
The young social entrepreneurs pose with their mentors at the end of the Business Clinic sessions. The changemakers earlier received one-on-one mentorship from founders of start-ups and companies in Vietnam including GO Scholarships, Meta Coach, and GeoLink.
Mr Nguyen Quang Huy (left), Founder of the Vietnam Innovation Social Challenge, gives pointers on how to make an impactful pitch.
The Student Committee members of the VNU-IS provided pre-programme and on-ground support for the two-day programme, including recruitment, marketing, content curation and execution.
The judges assessed business ideas presented by the social entrepreneurs. (From left) Mr Jaryll Chan, SIF Division Director, Ms Nguyen Bich Phuong, Country Manager at spinUp Vietnam Academy, and Mr See Yong Sheng, President of Singapore Business Association Vietnam.
Living Zen, Moodsing and tMonitor (in green) pose for a photo after winning over the judges. These teams will receive direct and fully sponsored entry to the YSE Global 2023 programme in Singapore.