Three international student teams reach the finals of YICMG 2019.

The "Youth Innovation in Governance and Development of the Mekong Region - YICMG" competition is held annually as part of educational exchanges and collaborations among young people and students from the six Mekong River region countries. To date, the competition has been held three times, with three final rounds taking place in Qinghai (China), Guangxi (China), and Vientiane (Laos). Each year, over 100 student teams from universities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Vietnam submit projects to the preliminary round, and more than 20 projects are selected for the final round.

The theme of the 2019 "Youth Innovation in Governance and Development of the Mekong Region - YICMG" competition was "Green Production, Consumption, and Social Development." Centered around this theme, student groups from the Faculty of International Studies developed innovative ideas for environmentally friendly consumer products and communication strategies to raise community awareness about environmental protection.

The student group consisting of Truong Ha Ly, Nguyen Thi Linh Chi, and Do Thi Ha Anh (K60 - International Studies) with the “Green for Future Website Project”: The project aims to design a website that compiles inventions, innovations, and green, environmentally friendly products that can be applied in six Mekong countries. The inventions and innovations will be regularly updated to raise awareness and strengthen practical actions for environmental protection and sustainable development.

The student group of Bui Thi Minh Thuy, Bui Nhat Linh, and Nguyen Thi Huong Giang (K60 - International Studies) with their project “Shades of Banana”: Using banana peels as the main material, the project not only creates products of high artistic value but also addresses the issue of surplus labor in rural areas of Vietnam. The project promotes green consumption, reduces agricultural waste, and contributes to environmental protection. Through their artworks, the project also hopes to bring Vietnamese culture to the world, promoting the unique cultural beauty of Vietnam.

Students Nguyen Ngoc Oanh, Nguyen Thi Men, and Nguyen Thi Tam (K61 - International Studies) with their project “Using paper bags made from cornstalk”: The project aims to make paper bags from corn stalks – a plant whose stalks are typically only used as animal feed. The project plans to introduce these corn-stalk paper bags into convenience stores first, and then expand to other markets nationwide. The project aims to encourage people to use environmentally friendly paper bags instead of polluting nylon bags.

In January 2019, three student teams will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to participate in the YICMG 2019 Finals. All expenses will be covered by the competition organizers. At the Finals, they will present their ideas to scientists, entrepreneurs, and startup support organizations. Teams that win top prizes and those highly rated by startup support organizations will be invited to participate in the 2019 Youth Innovation Training Camp, scheduled to be held in Shanghai, China, in July 2019.