Start a business with projects that benefit the country

On April 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the opening ceremony of the 7th National Student Startup Festival - 2025 held at

Ho Chi Minh City. Also attending the opening ceremony were Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc and representatives of many ministries, branches and localities...

"Sweet fruit" from startups

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Kim Chi affirmed that the "National Student Startup Festival" is not only an annual event for students across the country but also a place to discover and nurture young talents and startup projects that are useful to society and the country.

In 2017, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1665/QD-TTg approving the Project "Supporting students to start businesses until 2025" (Project 1665). To date, the project has achieved certain results.

Specifically, the content of entrepreneurship and innovation has been integrated into the training programs of many levels, especially universities and colleges. Over 120 higher education institutions have included entrepreneurship in their training programs, either as a compulsory or optional subject. Of these, 100% of higher education institutions have issued regulations to support entrepreneurship, more than 75% have creative spaces, 43% have established entrepreneurship centers, and 100% have cooperated with businesses through the leading role of entrepreneurs.

In 2024, Vietnam's global innovation index ranked 44/133 countries and economies - up 2 places compared to 2023; the global startup ecosystem index also increased 2 places, from 58 to 56, ranking 5th in Southeast Asia and 12th in Asia - Pacific. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have entered the top 200 global startup cities. More than 20 creative startup centers have been established nationwide, attracting a large number of businesses and investors. Notably, in 2024, Vietnam attracted 529 million USD in venture capital for creative startup projects.

Expressing his joy at the above "sweet fruits", Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that many young people have established their own businesses, called for investment capital, and created jobs for themselves and others.

"Thousands of students have continued to write very Vietnamese startup stories but with global stature with products that have changed the way we live, study and work: from applying technology in healthcare, clean agriculture to digital solutions in daily life" - the Prime Minister acknowledged.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets students at the 7th National Student Startup Festival. Photo: TRAN TRI

Need to build a startup ecosystem

Attending the festival, Tran Van Luc - a 4th year student majoring in computer science at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and also the Director of Awake Drive Joint Stock Company - is the clearest proof of the incubation of young people's startups.

Originating from concerns about traffic accidents caused by lack of alertness while driving in modern life, Luc and his group of friends hatched the idea of ​​applying technology to a device to monitor and maintain alertness for drivers. In 2022, Luc initiated the Awake Drive project. The project competed in many competitions and became a successful startup after only 2 years of research.

To promote the spirit of research and entrepreneurship among young people, Luc proposed that the state and educational institutions focus on practical solutions, such as: prioritizing investment in facilities and equipment for schools; building an ecosystem to support students; establishing a "venture" investment fund, building a startup environment, etc.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Chi said that Project 1665 - with its strategic vision and important mission - has been and will continue to inspire a wave of young startups in the Vietnamese school community. However, implementation practice shows that behind the initial results are many obstacles and "bottlenecks".

The Deputy Minister of Education and Training pointed out that the startups of many young people sometimes only stop at creative ideas, not prioritizing the transformation into products and services. Lack of knowledge, lack of experience, lack of soft skills - those are the three most obvious "missing corners" in the startup journey of the current young generation.

"Organizing startup activities is still biased towards movements and lacks depth. Without a long-term support mechanism and a network of investors, it is difficult for startup playgrounds in schools to achieve the desired results," Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Chi emphasized.

After listening to opinions, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that startups have no limits and need to be promoted with a spirit of speed and boldness.

The Prime Minister requested that the "three houses" - including the state, schools, and businesses - must work together to create a developing and effective startup ecosystem for students. In particular, businesses need to actively place orders, invest and accompany students, support practice, internships and commercialization of ideas; together with schools, inspire, invest and lead the younger generation.

"A start-up nation cannot lack the entrepreneurial spirit of each individual, especially the youth. I hope that with aspiration, intelligence and the right guidance, students and 20 million Vietnamese youth will be pioneers, grasping science and technology. At the same time, making Vietnam a center of innovation in the region and the world" - the Prime Minister said.

Spread powerful inspiration

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that he will fully absorb, thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Prime Minister's directives, with the spirit of what he promised to do, to do it with speed, boldness and without limits to fully promote the values ​​and potential of Vietnamese youth and students. The Ministry of Education and Training will also closely coordinate with ministries, departments and branches to fully implement the above directives.

"The Prime Minister's recognition of the achievements of Project 1665 over the past 7 years not only contributes significantly to promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among students but also is a great source of encouragement and motivation for the education sector nationwide. Through that, the Prime Minister has spread a strong inspiration to those who are carrying out the mission of arousing the desire to contribute and the spirit of innovation for the future of sustainable development of the country" - Minister Nguyen Kim Son expressed.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/khoi-nghiep-bang-cac-du-an-co-ich-cho-dat-nuoc-196250420223119358.htm