Working for social good in Vietnam through the RARE Program

Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Advanced Studies student Peter Trani participated in our Remote and Rural Enterprise (RARE) Program in Vietnam through the International Business Special Project - IBUS3106 unit of study. Peter and his fellow RARE team members were awarded the Richard Seymour Memorial Prize in Social Entrepreneurship in 2019 for their outstanding work in Hanoi.

See what Peter learned by working with Vietnamese social enterprise TASA to improve their marketing and communications.

What is the RARE Program and why did you decide to get involved?

The RARE Program is a rewarding university program that connects students with local communities. It allows students to work in the real world, helping real clients develop real solutions for their real problems. I got involved as I'm passionate about social good, which is all about taking action that serves the purpose of improving the world around you.

How did you apply for the RARE Program?

RARE has quite a thorough application process, which involves written applications whereby students reflect on their past experiences, suitability for the role and, most importantly, their underlying passion for making social impact. 

What did the RARE Program involve?

The RARE Program is a much more 'complete' program than a two-week experience suggests. As a class, we had several pre-program workshops in Sydney that were extremely rewarding – learning about Social Impact concepts, speaking with our Vietnamese partners and getting to know our colleagues. Whilst in Vietnam, students truly have the freedom to approach the tasks how they wish – some focus on collecting primary research, some strategise business plans with their internal entrepreneur, some communicate with external business partners. The beauty of RARE is that each team has a totally different experience based on their own skills, their client’s needs and their ideas on what’s most important for their business. At the end of the program, students are provided an opportunity to reflect on their experience through an enjoyably presentation day, the final business report and independent reflections. 

How do you think the RARE Program has helped your career?

RARE acted as my entry point into the world of Social Impact, and has inspired me to pursue a career where I can improve the lives of individuals, communities and the world as a whole. After finishing the program, I realised there were so many long-term entrepreneurial opportunities whereby I could combine my learned business skill-set with my passion for social good. I’ve also found that RARE provides a distinct point-of-differentiation when talking to interviewers, as it truly is a unique program that only a few students will ever experience.

What was the best part of your experience?

Overall, I’ll be forever thankful for all the opportunities RARE provided, but the most important impact was certainly the most immediate: as a team, we were able to solve a real problem with real solutions for real social entrepreneurs. To me, having a lasting, positive impact on the social enterprise culture within the rapidly emerging Vietnam will always be the most valuable takeaway. The friends you make aren’t bad either – it is a great opportunity to branch out from your traditional Commerce peers and understand the perspectives of other students via RARE's unique inter-disciplinary teams.

Peter Trani

What was the biggest challenge and what did you learn from it?

I think the biggest challenge for all students was adapting to how other cultures conduct business. As USYD students, we are taught theories, concepts and case studies from Western contexts, so having to quickly comprehend how Vietnamese entrepreneurs differ in their approach to market research, bookkeeping and strategic planning can be initially overwhelming! However, it’s well worth it – RARE provides a great opportunity to get outside your comfort zone, experience other cultures and broaden your thinking.  

What advice would you give to other students?

Get outside your comfort zone and embrace the foreign culture! When in Vietnam, our team made a conscious effort to try local foods, meet local people and understand the day-to-day local culture. This allowed us to more holistically understand how Vietnamese people think, act and feel, which in turn helped us develop real-world solutions that were actually practical for our social entrepreneur. Beyond that, RARE and the Australian Government provide students a unique two-week experience in a completely different culture – why not make the most of that and have some fun?

Learn more about the RARE Program and see how you can get involved.

Innovating for Business Opportunities Where Ideas Never Sleep

New York City is an assault on the senses – overwhelming, loud, a home to almost 9 million people. While some would describe this combination as big, bold and brash, it is a strangely welcoming city. 

At every corner there is a feeling of incredible opportunity and abundant evidence of a long history of entrepreneurship. Backed by the belief that failure drives important lessons, a desire to discover and innovate, and a strong venture capital funding network, it is little wonder that New York is one of the main cities outside Silicon Valley that is named consistently as one of the best start-up locations in the US. 

The main objective of the US Study Tour is to learn how to create opportunities in business with a commercial impact. Twenty Bachelor of Commerce (and combined degree) students were selected to participate in the two week program at NYU, Stern Business School’s start-up lab. 

Informed by design thinking principles, the unit offered students practical and theoretical insights into identifying opportunities, research skills to build an understanding of customer needs, pitching skills to sell an idea and cross-cultural skills via insights into business in the US. 

With a profound interest in start-ups, the opportunity to carry out the methodologies behind the development of a product was immersive. Upon listening to presentations by key figures within the start-up space and having the privilege to hold personal conversations with co-founders and investors, I gained invaluable insights that enriched my perspectives on potential career opportunities. - Daniel Tran 

Luke Williams, Founder of NYU Innovation Labs & CEO of Meta Idea Labs

The program broadened my horizons on what it means to be an entrepreneur and innovative. Hearing the thoughts of so many founders and individuals in this space made me realise you don’t have to wait around until you have an amazing idea. Some of the best advice I heard was to just jump in, because it is okay to fail. - Cameron Gonzalez 

                           

Hosted by Professor Cynthia Franklin, the program at NYU Stern Business school incorporates a unique and outstanding line-up of academic insights, startup panellists who speak genuinely about their lived experience, investors who provide reflections on what they look for in start-ups and pitch experts who challenge students to think about how to 'spin' a story and engage an audience.  

Student Tom Serrone described the US Study Tour as a "first-class learning experience" that allowed him to "witness and interact with the start-up economy in New York whilst also thinking about design thinking and disruption."

This first-class learning experience also proved to be of practical value, with Marketing student Chelsey Jayadiwangsa believing her ability "to apply design thinking tools to reimagine problems and ideate customer-centric solutions" will be carried into her future professional endeavours. 

In addition to learning about innovation and entrepreneurship, students are exposed to career and personal brand building tips, networking events and activities and business insights through site visits to Boston Consulting Group (Digital Ventures) in Sydney and NY, the American National History Museum, cultural consultancy and trend spotters Sparks & Honey, and a network event hosted by the North American Alumni Association. 

"The alumni event was a great chance to mingle with former University of Sydney students and really get a feel for how this university stretches our opportunities," said student James Scott. "As someone who is eager to work in New York at some point in my career, it was very refreshing to see so many people making the leap and giving me a lot of confidence in making this big move myself within the future.”"

The opportunity to listen to the experiences of entrepreneurs and the exposure to the dynamics of New York City provided "invaluable knowledge, amazing memories, newfound confidence and excitement for the future," said third year Commerce Law student Rowena Young. 

"I ended up having incredibly genuine and fun conversations with people who imparted all sorts of wisdom. Living, eating and breathing with my group members was also a new experience that taught me patience and the power of collaboration. My only regret? The program was over before I could grab my third slice of artichoke pizza."

US Study Tour 2019

Driving global change through real social impact

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.

• Visit the RARE website
• Download the flyer for more information

Enactus Sydney

What is the Enactus program?

Enactus Sydney is a student-led organisation that uses entrepreneurial action to create sustainable social enterprises. Our projects aim to tackle important social issues within the community  and are first-class demonstrations of the power of entrepreneurship, enabling progress and enhancing the lives of those we touch. Our organisation consists of 60 students from various faculties and in different stages of their degree progressions. We are part of the global Enactus network spanning across 36 countries, 1730 universities and over 72,000 students.

What projects did you work on as part of the program and present in the Enactus Nationals?

At the Enactus Nationals, we presented three of our current projects:

Culinary Tales provides refugees with employment, a source of income and social connection by empowering them to run their own cooking classes. This provides our refugees not only with economic skills and income, but also a social platform to share their experiences and cultures. We believe food has a powerful ability to forge harmonious connections between people from all different culture and across generations. Culinary Tales started by running classes in the community, open to all members of the public. We have since expanded our reach to high schools, where our classes directly supplement the Food Technology syllabus and enhance students' understanding of multiculturalism. Furthermore, we piloted our first Corporate Class for Culinary Tales in 16/17, representing the launch of our third innovative branch. 

The Pop Up Project aims to empower disadvantaged youths with business, hospitality and customer service skills to increase their chances of employment and cultivate a stronger sense of independence and self-determination. Through, partnerships with Glebe Youth Services, we are currently delivering a 'Three-Day program' involving a one day barista course, a business skills training day and one day real life experiences running a Pop-Up coffee and waffle stall on campus. in 16/17, we have also expanded the program by delivering a paid cafe internship program for two of our students. We hope to continue our partnership with local cafes and organisations to empower disadvantaged youths to seek future education and employment. 

Flashback is a creative writing program that aims to provide a platform for socially isolated senior citizens to share their experiences and explore their creativity. Our workshops are facilitated by students from University of Sydney and aims to provide an avenue for social interaction and inter-generational understanding. This project was started in February from our Enactus Summer Internship program and had its first pilot program in May 2017. We hope to continue expanding the project across retirement villages and publish their stories in the future. 

How did you implement entrepreneurial thinking and action to address the social causes/groups behind these projects?

One of the biggest tools that we utilise at Enactus Sydney is the design thinking methodology that allows us to go deeper beneath the surface of a problem to truly empathise and understand what needs to be solved. This involves needs assessments and a lot of critical preliminary research. Ultimately, this allows our ideas and solutions to be truly impactful when we pilot and launch them. Furthermore, we often employ business tools and frameworks that we've learnt during our University studies to ensure our projects are as strong as possible. 

What was your key takeaway from the experience of the Enactus Nationals?

Enactus Nationals was truly an amazing experience. For our team, the ability to see the amazing projects of other universities was a key learning experience. We really appreciated the opportunity to hear about the social impact being made around Australia and it inspires us to continue working hard on our projects to ensure targeted, effective empowerment for the disadvantaged communities in Australia. At the end of the day, we are all tackling similar social issues in the community and we hope to foster a sense of partnership with other universities. By working together, we will be able to create solutions that will ultimately be most beneficial and empowering for the community.

What was it like interacting with other Enactus teams and presenting in front of industry professionals?

(From the presenters themselves):

Matthew: 

Interacting with other Enactus teams and hearing about their projects with such passion was inspirational, truly highlighting the power that student volunteers have in creating social impact. Similarly, the opportunity to present to a panel of industry professionals who wanted to listen and learn about what we had achieved over the past year was invaluable, providing us with insight and advice that we can apply moving forward.

Lisa:

At first, presenting in front of the industry professionals was pretty nerve wracking, but the judges would smile which made me feel a lot more comfortable presenting. 

Meeting Enactus teams from other universities was also really great because we got to see what their Enactus culture was like and the different projects they were involved in.

Monique: 

Watching other teams' presentations was highly inspiring and refreshing when reflecting on the future direction of our teams' projects. 

I certainly underestimated the formality of the competition, which was immensely pleasing, as it showed the support, time and efforts industry professionals were willing to offer to the Enactus teams and their projects. 

How did you feel when it was announced Enactus Sydney were first place winners?

Speaking on behalf of the group, I think it is fair to say that when we were announced as winners, it was a moment of pure shock and joy. At the start of the year, Enactus Nationals was not on our radar: we were driven and focused on improving our projects to empower as many members of the community as we could. Hearing that we won was a great validation for us as a team because the results of our projects spoke for themselves and it simply reflected the hard work each and everyone of our members had put in. 

What are you looking forward to the most about participating in the upcoming Enactus World Cup in London?

As a team, we are excited to witness what other universities have accomplished in a multitude of countries. Furthermore, it will be an amazing cultural experience as we are able to network with students and business professionals from 36 other countries. Finally, as university students, we are simply excited to be able to travel to London and we are proud to represent Australia, and showcase our projects on the world stage. 

What are your expectations from the World Cup?

Going to the World Cup, we have not set any expectations on ourselves. Similar to the Enactus Nationals, we plan to let the results of our projects speak for themselves. However, we also expect this will be great learning experience as we hear about the various methodologies other universities utilise and their strategies towards delivering sustainable social impact in the community. 

Key people from the Nationals experience:

• Our core executive team: Jonathon Tan (Chief Executive Officer), Alexander Chye (Chief Operating Officer), Sharon Yin (Chief Marketing Officer) and Carl Lesmana (Head of Project Development)
• Our faculty advisors: Andrew Lee and James Meade
• Our presenters: Matthew Youie, Lisa Gong, Monique Andreatta 

By Enactus Sydney, first place winners of Enactus Nationals.

Culinary Tales

By Ceewing Tsui, Culinary Tales Project Director, current student at the University of Sydney Business School and member of Enactus Sydney - a community of students, academics and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.

Who doesn’t love a good story accompanying good food? Culinary Tales, an initiative of Enactus Sydney, provides a unique cooking class experience. In our Culinary Tales classes, our customers learn authentic recipes from a variety of exotic cuisines, including regions such as Yemen, Nigeria, India and Tibet, from our refugee chefs, while hearing their stories. Be whisked away on a culinary journey as you hear the stories behind their own experiences.

“I am thankful to Enactus for giving me the chance to cook and share my recipes.” - Tashi (Culinary Tales Chef)

The beauty of food lies in its universality; its power to forge connections between a diverse range of cultures. Upon attending a Culinary Tales class, you gain an insight into a new culture and the experiences of a refugee. When you arrive at the cooking class, you will be greeted by one of our lovely refugee chefs (RCs) and a host of fellow class members with whom you will have a truly memorable time.

Then, when you learn to cook the dishes, you will also find out about the personal stories embedded in the traditional dishes you are making, and experience the feeling of home that each of our chefs bring to their recipes. Once you have made the dishes, you will also get to share an amazing meal together and learn more about each other!

“Despite all hardships, my passion for cooking continued to grow.” - Joan (Culinary Tales Chef)

What is unique to Culinary Tales classes is that you get a hands-on experience in cooking new and exotic cuisines together with other locals, whilst listening to the chefs’ inspiring stories. The Culinary Tales experience isn’t just about learning new cuisines, it’s about connecting with new cultures and refugees.

Our classes are located at the Lane Cove Living and Learning Centre (180 Longueville Rd, Lane Cove). Be sure to give us a like on Facebook and check out our website to keep updated on upcoming classes that will be advertised soon!

About Culinary Tales
Unfortunately, there is a high rate of unemployment amongst newly settled refugees even if they are highly skilled or qualified. This is why Culinary Tales is aimed at improving the employability, skills, and integration of these refugees into the larger Australian community, via a standalone cooking class business, which hopes to promote their uniquely diverse culinary experiences and culture.

Culinary Tales provides refugees with work experience by employing them to help run a cooking class to showcase their exotic cuisines. Food has a tangible role in forging links to connect a diverse range of cultures. Not only can we share the ways of cooking of refugees, we can also share their stories with the wider community.

Looking forward: Digital Disruption and Management Consulting

20 years ago nobody was sending email, information was available almost exclusively from physical sources and business processes were designed almost exclusively in-house.

But advances in technology have drastically changed our behaviour both as consumers and in the workplace.

An ulterior effect of the information and networking age has been an increase in the flexibility of service offerings by professional services firms. Although the big four still hold most of the market, recently there has been a rise in niche firms, offering services more suited to smaller organisations.

These subjects were covered at a recent panel event hosted by the Master of Management Society at the University of Sydney Business School. The four distinguished guests shared their experience of how industries in Australia are being disrupted and included the following:

• Matthew Gilmour - Founder of Ozforex , an international exchange company that was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange for $442 million
• Emily Yue - Founder of Expert 360, a firm that connects businesses requiring professional services to top freelance professionals and consultants, most of whom have previously had careers at the top firms and agencies
• Damien Tampling - Head of Digital Strategy, Transformation and Investment Practices at Deloitte
• Christopher Kurwie - Senior Associate at Venture Consulting, a company specialising in working with digital, media and telecommunications companies

Panellists, left to right; Matthew Gilmour, Founder, Ozforex; Emily Yue, Co-Founder and COO, Expert 360; Damien Tampling, Partner, Deloitte; and Christopher Kurwie, Senior Associate, Venture Consulting; and host, Emma Cowan, current student in the Master of Management program

Naturally, with three consultants at the table and many aspiring consultants in the audience, there was a lot of discussion on the topic of the management consulting industry.

Damien, the panel’s representative of the Big Four, accepted that the level of disruption in the industry will possibly see the established players become smaller in the coming years, driven by a combination of factors.

From a technological perspective, the online channel used by Expert 360 (described as internet dating meets consulting services) has facilitated a much larger and more diverse market for professional services than what existed previously.

A lack of flexibility in the established firms is another reason for change in the industry. Emily Yue nominated this as the primary reason for Expert 360 being established, as it allows start-ups and smaller enterprises to hire specialist staff as needed, for specific lengths of time, eroding the advantage of larger corporations that can afford to have specialists employed full-time.

Furthermore, in seeking to value add and offer greater expertise to companies, many specialist consulting firms are focusing on specific industries and company sizes; Chris Kurwie’s employer, Venture Consulting, is an example of such a firm.

Discussion among the panel was not confined to the consulting profession; the guests also had the opportunity to share their insights on entrepreneurship and innovation in general. In reflecting on how Venture seeks to make companies more innovative, Chris noted that it tends to entail either the specialisation or diversification of services. Matthew Gilmour exemplified specialisation as a source of innovation, having founded a company that deals only in a specific area of financial services. In his view, the opportunity to innovate tends to be grounded in “fat margins and red tape”: where this can be found, there will often be an opportunity to innovate.

Equally important was his view, upheld by the panel, that most successful entrepreneurs will acquire knowledge and experience in their chosen field prior to creating their own enterprises. Matt’s prior experience in working in foreign exchange for large institutions as well as Emily Yue’s stint as a consultant for Bain & Co. justifies the importance of this prerequisite for being an entrepreneur. In light of this, Matt suggested the stories of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg creating billion-dollar enterprises straight out of college should be seen as the (very rare) exception, rather than the rule. If you intend to be an entrepreneur, perhaps it will pay off to continue your education post-university, pursuing a position at an established company to deepen your understanding and connections in the industry prior to trying to go at it alone.

As experienced professionals and industry leaders, the panellists did an exceptional job of representing themselves and their companies.

This was the second event of this kind that has been hosted by the Master of Management Society, following an alumni event held three weeks earlier.

Max Evans
Current student in the Master of Management program at the University of Sydney Business School and Analyst at CitiBank

Jewels in the social entrepreneurship crown

I've recently completed a one-month social entrepreneurship project in Bangalore, India, working with other students to empower women from a rural village community by training them to produce 'Roka' jewellery.

Made from bi-products of local village quarries, the ultimate aim of this jewellery is to allow these women to make an income and bring about real changes in their lives. Our role was to design both the pieces and the production process, then engage with and teach them to run the enterprise for themselves. The project is set to play an important social and educational role, with profits from jewellery sales going towards funding after-school tuition centres that my peers and I also volunteered in. 

There were a few challenges along the way, with a few students becoming ill and finding it difficult to adjust to the local foods and environment. But for the most part, everyone enjoyed excellent health and really embraced the village way of life. There were plenty of highlights, such as going into the cities to source materials, even though we didn't speak the local language (Kannada). It pushed us all out of our comfort zones and forced us to fall back on our cross-cultural interaction training.

Networking with the locals was also a fantastic learning experience. As social entrepreneurs, we started from the bottom and worked our way up, making strong headway in spite of limited internet access and zero business contacts in the initial stages. Volunteering in the after-school tuition centres was also so much fun. The enthusiasm of the kids and the genuine passion they had for learning English was so inspiring, especially given their difficult life circumstances.

This entire project was an amazing opportunity to not only apply what we’d learned through our university studies, but also to help make a real difference to the lives of people who need it most.

Find out more about entrepreneurship opportunities at 40rtyK.

Christine Ma: Current Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Sydney Business School.