Grounded by a focus on making global change, the
Vietnam RARE program provides students with the opportunity to tackle social challenges through a genuine two-way learning experience. Through a unique two week cross-cultural experience, students across different faculties are immersed into the challenges of social entrepreneurship - including the development of sustainable business models and impact assessments.
By working directly with social enterprises in Vietnam on real business problems, students can expect to work closely on different projects - ranging from business plans, feasibility studies, strategic plans, information memorandums, or analysis of a particular issue or opportunity relevant to the enterprise.
Students are offered a $3,000 scholarship from the New Colombo Mobility Program to support their travel and accommodation in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Read below to find out how the program in 2019 has helped students develop their problem-solving skills, strengthen their global leadership and realise their passion for driving social impact.
Daniel Tran
Whilst the term “entrepreneurship” gets thrown around quite loosely, it is very rare to gain real tangible experience to practise it. The Vietnam RARE Program changes that by offering the chance to work on challenging business problems with real enterprises in Vietnam. I was fortunate to work directly with Imagtor and key stakeholders where creating a strategic plan offered me the freedom to pull the business apart, identify problems and recommend feasible solutions for the enterprise’s sustainability.
The social aspect to the program was invaluable. By working closely with people who have a physical disability and a social enterprise that was focused on sustaining their social mission, I reignited my passion for incorporating the human connection within business. The program provided me with clarity in finding my place in the world of global business by knowing that there are opportunities for me to leverage my skills to make real change.
Rita Andraos
With a hands-on experience in a rapidly growing country like Vietnam, the Vietnam RARE Program was more valuable than a traditional internship. I was able to work with KOTO where I created a social impact report on their past twenty years of operation. Through field research and direct engagement with stakeholders ranging from CEO, workers and business partners; I got the pleasure to witness how grateful these stakeholders were for my contribution. This was much more meaningful to me than grades or putting this program on my resume.
Dylan Arias
The Vietnam RARE Program was completely different from everything I have done at university. I saw this opportunity as being unique and exclusive, as it is not often you get an opportunity to work on something meaningful with a social cause - both in and outside of university. The dynamic of working with students from different faculties was refreshing especially having been in the "Commerce bubble" for so long.
The intensive unit really challenged my ability to adapt quickly in new environments. Unlike other exchange and study tours, the program challenges you to hit the ground running early. I appreciated the demand for hard work as I felt responsible for the performance of the social enterprise I was working with.
