[FAIE] PhD Nguyen Van Tan Honored for His Special Contributions to the National Startup Program.

The National Startup Program, directed and chaired by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) since 2003, has been implemented by Doanh Nhan Forum Magazine since its inception. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups, a ceremony was held on 24 February 2024 at the headquarters of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Ho Chi Minh City. This event marked ten years of formation and development of the Council in advising and supporting startup activities in the Southern region of Vietnam.

Carrying out the mission of “nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations” and aiming to become a bridge connecting academia, entrepreneurs, students, and society to support training, consulting, and promote the development of the national startup ecosystem, the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups has continuously striven to build a proactive community with core values of Creativity, Passion, Wisdom, and Humanity.

In a solemn atmosphere on the morning of 24 February 2024, at the VCCI headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City, the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups was held. This was a meaningful event marking a decade of establishment, development, and contributions of the Council in advising and supporting startup enterprises in the southern region.

On this occasion, Lac Hong University presented a congratulatory flower arrangement to the Council, as a gesture of recognition and appreciation for its contributions and achievements over the past 10 years.

One of the individuals honoured at the ceremony was PhD. Nguyen Van Tan – Head of the Faculty of International Business and Economics, Lac Hong University. Over the five-year period from 2019 to 2024, he made special contributions to the National Startup Program. Through his dedication and persistent efforts, he played an important role in promoting the development of startup enterprises in the southern region.

PhD. Nguyen Van Tan expressed his honour and pride at being recognised at this meaningful event. He also conveyed his sincere gratitude to the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups for the trust, support, and opportunities extended to him throughout his involvement in startup advisory and support activities.

PhD. Nguyen Van Tan provided advisory support for the “Van Huong Herbal Incense” project, which won First Prize at the 2021 Dong Nai Women’s Startup Contest and has since been successfully implemented in practice.

The 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups clearly demonstrated the unity, dedication, and persistent efforts of its members in creating favourable conditions for the development of startup enterprises. The Council’s advisory and support activities have contributed to improving the capacity and competitiveness of startups, while also promoting socio-economic development in the southern region.

Accordingly, numerous meaningful activities have been implemented, including: strengthening cooperation and information exchange; supporting the enhancement of teaching knowledge and skills for lecturers and entrepreneurs; providing startup knowledge training for youth and students; offering consulting support for business ideas of youth and students; promoting activities to attract organisations and individuals to invest in feasible projects; and sharing practical experiences in business and enterprise management. These activities have been carried out widely, spanning Ho Chi Minh City, the Eastern and Western regions, the Central region, and the Central Highlands.

Over the 10 years since its establishment, the Council has generated many practical values, including: organising more than 100 business startup training courses for students; hosting 60 networking sessions with successful entrepreneurs; delivering over 100 innovation and startup training courses for students; implementing 15 advanced innovation and startup capacity-building courses for enterprise founders and youth; co-organising or serving as judges for 56 startup competitions; conducting more than 20 train-the-trainer courses; and contributing a total of over 50,800 volunteer hours by Council members participating in startup-related activities.

Council members have actively contributed more than VND 5 billion and mobilised matching funds exceeding VND 5 billion to organise startup activities for students. Many startup ideas of students and youth advised by Council members have participated in startup competitions, achieved high awards, and successfully established enterprises. Typical examples include: Dizim – a video production platform using virtual people; Products derived from gac fruit; MEDILEA – a product enhancing performance from bang leaf extract for aquaculture and ornamental fish; Oyster mushrooms cultivated on HMG herbal substrate; Chocolate confectionery produced from honey and organic coffee cherries; Nano Silver – a green product serving sustainable agriculture; An Hoa herbal ointment – from farm to product; and POLAFOAM – natural cosmetics from coconut oil.

In addition to community-based training and support activities, the Council has consistently fostered a spirit of lifelong learning among its members. Knowledge-sharing programmes have been regularly organised in various forms, such as academic seminars, professional networking and sharing sessions, and specialised thematic meetings. These activities have created valuable opportunities for members to continuously learn, exchange experiences, and enhance their professional expertise and capacity.

It can be affirmed that throughout more than 10 years of establishment and development, the Southern Advisory and Support Council for Startups has successfully mobilised social resources to contribute collectively to the National Startup Program led by VCCI, thereby making a positive contribution to strengthening and developing the southern startup ecosystem in a sustainable manner.