In early December, many students of the University of Da Nang received scholarships funded by international businesses for their excellent academic achievements.

Representatives of Four Points by Sheraton Danang Hotel awarded scholarships to four students majoring in Hotel Management, the University of Economics - the University of Da Nang. Photo: H.L

According to experts, in addition to financial value, corporate scholarships open up opportunities for students to access professional training programmes at large companies, thereby narrowing the gap between academia and practice.

Having just received a scholarship of VND 15 million from the Four Points by Sheraton Danang Hotel, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diem, a student majoring in Hotel Management of the University of Economics - the University of Da Nang, said that she will make the most of the opportunity to access a professional and dynamic working environment at the hotel.

According to Diem, the practical working environment helps her understand more about the profession she is pursuing, thereby continuing to practice necessary soft skills such as communication, situation handling, and teamwork. “I believe that the experiences at the hotel will be a valuable stepping stone for me to be more confident when entering the competitive labour market” Diem shared.

Not only Ngoc Diem, many students in Da Nang also consider corporate scholarships as the key to opening the door to future jobs, especially in the fields of engineering and hi-tech.

With a GPA of 3.92/4.0, Vo Trong Duc, a student majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Transport Mechanics, the University of Science and Technology - the University of Da Nang, who recently received a scholarship from Japan’s Toyota Corporation, expressed that the scholarship is an opportunity for him to learn theory and practical skills from leading experts in the field.

Duc expressed that the scholarship helped him participate in internship programmes at Toyota factories, study in a hi-tech environment, and be exposed to advanced production processes - things that he previously only learned through books. “What I am about to learn is not only technology but also corporate culture and high discipline. This is an extremely valuable asset for my future career,” Duong added.

Dr. Huynh Phuong Nam, Vice Principal of the University of Science and Technology, said that the support of businesses in scholarship programmes has been and is contributing to changing the face of university education.

According to him, corporate scholarships help students connect theory with practice, improve their competitiveness, and meet the needs of the labour market in the context of international integration. On the other hand, through awarding scholarships and creating internship opportunities, enterprises contribute to training a young, potential workforce. Therefore, this cooperation promises to continue to bring sustainable values ​​not only to students but also to the Vietnamese economy.

“Students are supported in terms of finance and practical internship opportunities, while businesses can access and train human resources who are still studying at school” Dr. Huynh Phuong Nam said.

It is known that technical scholarships are part of Toyota's strategy to develop the Vietnamese automobile industry. Recently, Toyota has awarded 7 out of the 118 scholarships to students of the University of Science and Technology.

A representative of the enterprise said that education and human resource development is one of Toyota's commitments to contributing to the economic and social development in Viet Nam. As an automobile manufacturer, Toyota hopes that, in the coming time, a young and talented workforce will contribute to accelerating the localisation process of Veloz Cross, Avanza Premio, Vios, etc.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Stefano Maccagno, General Director of Four Points by Sheraton Danang Hotel, said that the unit has just awarded 4 scholarships to students majoring in Hotel Management at the University of Economics.

The programme is part of a cooperation agreement between the school and the hotel, focusing on training in hotel management, and providing high-quality human resources for businesses in the future.

Mr. Stefano Maccagno voiced his hope that the corporate scholarship will contribute to shaping a generation of dynamic, creative students who are ready to integrate into the global labour market.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG