After graduating with a Bachelor of English from the University of Foreign Language Studies - the ​University of Da Nang, Duong Thi Diem My, born in 1998, was one of 357 global candidates to receive a Swedish Government-sponsored full scholarship for a master's degree in "Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and Social Change" at the Linnaeus University.

Duong Thi Diem My at the Linnaeus University, Sweden. Photo courtesy of the character

On her new journey abroad, the young girl strives to study and cherishes the dream of implementing a startup project for the community in her home country.

"I do not have a university education in economics but I am passionate about startups" My shared about her decision to switch to a master's programme in economics.

A few years ago, we had the opportunity to meet My at some startup programmes held in Quang Nam Province and Da Nang.

Before COVID-19, the female student hailing from Quang Nam Province’s Duy Xuyen District was the founder of a small startup project called Adei House - a community-based tourism model associated with Cham cuisine deployed in the My Son Sanctuary.

Thanks to its creative idea combined with indigenous culture and technology in tourism and support from the Songhan Incubator, Adei House was highly appreciated for its great development potential by many consultants and investors.

However, due to objective factors and the impact of COVID-19, this project could not go further. “Adei House is my passion for tourism and cultural identity, especially introducing the values ​​of Cham culture to international friends. Although the project has not developed as expected, I have learned a lot of valuable experiences from the days of operating Adei House, especially how to build a business model”, My shared.

The stop at Adei House was a turning point for the beginning of her new journey in Europe. Exactly 4 months ago, My was one of 357 global candidates, including 11 Vietnamese people, to touch the dream of studying at the Linnaeus University with a full master's scholarship in "Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development and Social Change" sponsored by the Swedish Government.

My said that Sweden offers an ideal environment for those who love entrepreneurship, environmental protection and social orientation. At the country, every idea has the opportunity to develop into action, especially sustainable models. My realised that a business must not only be financially successful but also creates positive changes for the community and the environment.

It is known that the "Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development and Social Change" major is an open educational programme. Students will experience lessons on entrepreneurship and sustainable development along with real-life situations, through which they can apply knowledge to social situations to come up with appropriate solutions. The subjects do not stop at the concept of common entrepreneurship but also refer to many in-depth studies on developing sustainable business models.

My recalled her memorable experience when participating in a small research project on how to develop businesses in rural areas in Viet Nam with international friends. The project helped My gain a deeper insight into the problems that people in rural areas are face and how startup models can help them overcome those difficulties.

During her stay in Sweden, My always strives to advertise the image of Viet Nam with the ‘Ao Dai’ and the national red flag with a yellow star when she has the opportunity. At the same time, she acts as a bridge to share experiences and motivate young Vietnamese people who wish to seek scholarships from the Swedish Government, through online exchanges.

“My long-term goal is still to return to Viet Nam to carry out startup projects, especially in the field of education. I think education is the key to social development, bringing positive changes in many aspects” My said. Specifically, the girl cherishes the idea of ​​establishing an English centre for low-income adults, teaching soft skills to children, especially children with developmental delays.

Reporting by LAM VIEN - Translating by M.DUNG