Creating Social Innovation in Indigenous Communities through the RARE Program

Our Remote and Rural Enterprise (RARE) program connects students across the University and offers an opportunity to collaborate on solving real-world problems. Through the BUSS4903 unit: Social Innovation in Indigenous Communities, students partnered with social enterprises to help solve a problem identified by the project partners as crucial to their organisations' or a community's long term sustainability.

Read below to find out how the program has helped students develop their understanding of the Indigenous culture, strengthen their problem-solving skills and prepare them for their future, professional careers.

Christina Liu

When I had applied for the RARE Program for BUSS4903 Social Innovation for Indigenous Communities, I had expected something like what I had encountered at Uni so far - a subject which I could learn and broaden my knowledge. However, after 5 weeks and the completion of the subject, I had gained much more than that.

I was able to gain a better understanding of Indigenous Communities and their deep, rich history around traditional native plant growing processes on Country. The unit involved closely working with Black Duck Foods, an Indigenous Social Enterprise which focusses on traditional food growing processes and the establishment of a Native Grains Industry which will benefit Indigenous People. We were able to learn invaluable real-life skills, communicating directly to the enterprise we were given a brief on.

The RARE program unit staff were heavily engaged and involved with the entire process of our project, from organising speakers to personally giving us feedback at every opportunity. The support of the unit staff as well as working with industry partners and like-minded team members enabled me to walk away from the subject with transferrable industry skills and a more holistic world view.

Christina Liu

Kim Berney

BUSS4903 is hands-down one of the best units I've taken at USYD. I feel very fortunate to have partaken in the unit.

The professors who run this course are extremely knowledgeable in both the theoretical and practical components of the unit. It's very refreshing to experience a course that allows students to interact with 'clients', create works that will be of real/tangible value to others, and enjoy the taste of a 'real-life' practice (rather than being primarily caught up in theory and academia).

Equally, it's quite uncommon to see professors be so generous with their time and helpful with their approach. The professors were unequivocally motivated, in turn successfully sparking curiosity and ambition from students. Collaboration and communication were ubiquitous and enjoyed by all classmates.

This course very positively impacted me as it helped train my ability to handle ambiguity and complexity. I developed a stronger ability to draw data/insights from qualitative interviews and learnt to feel comfortable in a multidisciplinary and multicultural setting.

The course equips students with a more comprehensive and realistic toolkit (than traditional units), better preparing us for our professional careers.

Kim Berney

Vanessa Peiru Li

The RARE program is a synthesis of both learning and practicing. It provides an opportunity for students to develop and apply skills including teamwork, communication, analytical thinking, community engagement, stakeholder management, and the ability to work well under pressure.

The program allows us to explore real-world problems Indigenous social enterprises currently face and gave us enough freedom and flexibility to generate innovative ideas and solutions. These problems were challenging and complex in terms of both social and commercial aspects. During this program, I gradually learned why social enterprises faced these problems, why these problems are difficult to get grips with and why solving these problems is critical.

Beyond learning more about entrepreneurship and management of a remote and rural enterprise, my RARE experience also expanded my knowledge and enhanced my understanding of the Indigenous culture and the socio-cultural differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities which should be recognised, understood and respected.

I would say the best thing about this program is the full support received from the RARE team. The workshops are well organised and cover many topics including social innovation theories and case studies, action research methods, pitching skills etc. that will equip students to succeed in this program as well as future study/work. In addition, our supervisors actively help us identify and reach the resource we need, provide feedback promptly and bridge the gap caused by online studying and remote collaboration.

In general, the RARE program is amazing and unique! With domestic travel resuming, working alongside a remote enterprise, and engaging with the community in person will be possible, I believe future students will have even more memorable experiences.

Vanessa Peiru Li

Learn more about the BUSS4903 unit: Social Innovation in Indigenous Communities, available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies.

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.

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
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