First held in 2009, the Hult Prize, referred to as the "Nobel Prize for students" by media outlets worldwide, is the world’s largest social impact competition. Run in partnership with the United Nations, student teams come together to compete to solve a pressing social issue by developing a scalable, sustainable social enterprise.

The LAUREL team won the top prize in the Hult Prize at DUT competition for their soy milk production project

Within the framework of the Hult Prize, the Hult Prize on Campus programme has been organised universities across Viet Nam since last year. The programme allows student leaders on campus to organise their own, localised version of the Hult Prize, using a turn-key tool kit.

Best team will be selected from such university-level programmes across Viet Nam, and they will advance to the Hult Prize Southeast Asia Regional.

As part of the Hult Prize on Campus programme, the so-called Hult Prize at DUT competition was held for the first time at the Da Nang University of Science and Technology between November 2020 and January 2021.

The competition entitled ‘Food for Good’ attracted dozens of projects involving the solving of food problems from university students.

Asked for the organisation process of the Hult Prize at DUT, Kieu Thi Phuong, a 3^rd year student from the University’s Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, who was Head of the Competition Organising Committee, said she and other members of the organising board developed plans for the Hult Prize at DUT competition from October 2020. Then, the organisers held a press conference at the university in late November 2020 to announce the competition.

Phuong said, despite encountering a lot of pressure, she and other team members made an attempt to learn about experience from Vietnamese universities that have successfully organised such competitions, as well as ask for support and advice from experts, including Dr Nguyen Quang Nhu Quynh from her university.

Beyond university students, the Hult Prize at DUT competition drew much attention from student volunteers who were studying abroad or in other universities in Da Nang.

For instance, Le Quang Son who was in charge of the competition’s external relations was a freshman at the University of Rochester in the US state of New York.

Son’s university has switched to online learning due to the complicated development of the coronavirus crisis in the USA. During his stay in Viet Nam, Son has been active in social programmes in addition to studying.

Son said that the event offered him a good opportunity to improve his teamwork, and event organisation and management skills.

By KHANG NINH - Translated by M.D