On the morning of May 12, at Can Tho University, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of ministries, branches and localities attended the opening ceremony of the 6th National Startup Day.

Speaking at the festival, the Prime Minister said he clearly felt the passion, aspiration, determination, perseverance and courage of students to start a business and contribute. The Prime Minister said that in recent years, the Party and State have paid special attention to, and have issued and effectively implemented many policies and guidelines to support and encourage start-ups and innovation.

Previously, on October 30, 2017, the Government approved the Project to Support Students in Starting a Business until 2025 (Project 1665).

The Prime Minister stated that the National Startup Festival for Students, which takes place annually since 2018, has truly become an intellectual playground, a place to form valuable ideas and scientific research to promote the entrepreneurial aspirations of young people. This is also a favorable environment to support students in forming and realizing startup ideas and projects.

After 6 years of implementing Project 1665, up to now, 100% of universities, academies, colleges, and junior colleges have plans to support students in starting businesses.

90% of students are educated and educated to raise awareness, equipped with knowledge and skills about entrepreneurship before graduation; attracting nearly 3,000 student startup projects and over 4,000 startup ideas and projects in the field of vocational education.

There are 110 co-working spaces for startups in universities. More than 120 universities have made innovation and entrepreneurship a compulsory or elective subject. There are 10 training institutions that have arranged funds to support student startups.

Youth Unions at all levels have organized more than 3,000 creative idea competitions, attracting nearly 370,000 young people to participate with nearly 14,000 startup ideas; supporting nearly 16,000 projects with a total budget of nearly 700 billion VND.

"The entrepreneurial spirit, the entrepreneurial movement and the entrepreneurial results of students have been contributing to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in the new revolutionary period - the Ho Chi Minh era," the Prime Minister emphasized.

In addition to the achievements, the Prime Minister also pointed out the limitations. That is, the startup ecosystem still lacks cohesion; there is still a gap compared to other countries in the region and the world. The implementation of startup support policies for students is still slow; incubation and startup activities in higher education institutions have not gone into depth. The system of facilities and laboratories is not adequate; the team of consultants to support startups is still small...

The Prime Minister said that in order for start-up activities among students to develop dramatically and truly become a widespread movement across the country, the entire political system needs to be strongly involved. At the same time, it needs the support of the people and businesses with specific, appropriate, practical, and effective support mechanisms, policies, and solutions in the short and long term.

The Prime Minister requested that in the coming time, the Ministry of Education and Training, together with all levels, sectors and localities, focus on implementing drastically, synchronously and effectively "1 promote; 2 strengthen; 3 connect; 4 focus; 5 encourage" in start-up activities.

The Prime Minister also requested the Youth Union to widely implement the "Youth Entrepreneurship" program, especially creative startups. The focus is on developing the entrepreneurial capacity of Vietnamese youth, participating in creating an environment to support young entrepreneurs to develop the country.

For higher education, vocational education, and general education institutions, the Prime Minister requested organizations to effectively implement issued mechanisms and policies. Proactively allocate resources to soon build and perfect the startup ecosystem. Support staff and lecturers to register for exclusive patent ownership...

At the festival, the Prime Minister encouraged students to follow the shining example of previous generations. Always be diligent, hardworking, try to study well, practice well. Maintain faith, fulfill responsibilities to yourself, your family, the community, and society; live a life full of passion, ambition, aspiration to rise up, and the will to establish yourself and your career.