The final round of the Youth Innovation Competition on Lancang-Mekong Region's Governance 2023 (YICMG 2023) was successfully held from July 19-23 at Qinghai University, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China.
This is an annual competition aimed at encouraging young people to come up with practical ideas to address current issues in the Mekong-Lancang region.
The theme of YICMG 2023 was “New Agriculture and Food Safety & Security”. The competition featured 20 projects from 6 countries in the Mekong-Lancang region, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Among them, 4 projects were submitted by Vietnamese students from Vietnam National University, Hanoi and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.
Vietnamese students at the Culture Night cultural exchange event at YICMG 2023.
A group of students from the Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, including Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, Doan Tra My, and Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, presented the project “Sugarcane Leaves: New Value - New Chance” at the YICMG 2023 competition. The project won the top prize – “The Best Project for Incubation” – with a reward of 10,000 yuan (over 30 million VND).
The team members (from left to right) in front of the project presentation poster: Hai Yen, Ngoc Lan, and Tra My.
Ngoc Lan shared with the Vietnamese Student section of Tien Phong newspaper: “Currently, the area planted with sugarcane in the Mekong Delta is gradually decreasing because people do not see many economic benefits from sugarcane. This is one of the reasons leading to the sugarcane crisis in Vietnam.”
The project aims to recycle sugarcane leaves – a type of agricultural waste – transforming leaves that would normally be thrown away or used for roofing into packaging, writing paper, drawing paper, etc., thereby increasing farmers' income. Minimizing agricultural waste and encouraging people to continue growing sugarcane are the two main objectives of this project.”
The entire team confidently presented their project (pictured above), followed by the announcement of the top prize - The Best Project for Incubation.
After receiving information about the competition in November 2022, the three female students proactively formed a group and urgently searched for ideas that fit the theme. Because it was also the time of their midterm exams, the group worked diligently and quickly to submit their project report to the organizers on time.
Since all three of you are students in the K65 International Studies class, you have similar study schedules and a certain level of understanding. Thanks to this, when dividing tasks, each member is given the opportunity to best utilize their abilities.
"One of the challenges for the team was identifying and ensuring the feasibility of the project, in order to increase its persuasiveness with the judges," Tra My said.
The group also received much help and support from the faculty members in the Department and senior students who had participated in YICMG in previous years. To develop a complete project for the final round, the group received enthusiastic guidance from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Hong Hanh, Head of the Department of European Studies, Faculty of International Studies.
Representing the University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Hong Hanh (in yellow shirt) and the competing teams from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi at the YICMG 2023 finals.
The University of Social Sciences and Humanities has two teams participating this year with two projects:
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The “FFMAP” project consists of students from the K64 International Studies class: Bui Tran The Anh, Do Thuy Hang, and Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang. FFMAP is an idea for a clean food map, helping people easily access and connect with places selling clean food around them. In addition, FFMAP also helps clean food stores increase their competitiveness and easily connect with consumers.
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The project “Sugarcane Leaves: New Value – New Chance” by students from the K65 International Studies class, including Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, Doan Tra My, and Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, aims to utilize agricultural waste to create products with greater value: producing paper from sugarcane leaves. This will increase the income of sugarcane farmers and build a circular economy model in agriculture.
After four days of competition, the group of students from the Faculty of International Studies achieved impressive results: their project, “Sugarcane leaves: New value – New chance,” won the top prize, “The Best Project For Incubation.”
The University of Social Sciences and Humanities congratulates all participating students on successfully completing the meaningful YICMG 2023 journey. This is a source of pride for the University and the Faculty, inspiring other students to actively participate in research activities and beneficial competitions.
