Economist Up 2024 - Integration Journey towards "Leveling Up Vietnamese Agricultural Products"

With the theme "Leveling Up Vietnamese Agricultural Products,” the competition targeted to create a valuable and exciting playground for students, helping them enhance knowledge and skills in the field of import-export through implementing the topic of exporting an agricultural product project, thereby promoting bringing Vietnamese agricultural products closer to the international market. After six months with four rounds of competition: Knowledge Evaluation Round, Preliminary Round, Semi-Final Round, and Final Round. On May 25, the Final Round of the Competition was officially held, marking a milestone presentation of young people passionate about economics.

Sharing at the opening of the Economist Up 2024 Final Round, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong - Deputy Head of the Faculty of International Economics, Diplomatic Academy - Head of the Contest Organizing Committee expressed her appreciation for the efforts and performances of the contestants in recent times. She sincerely thanked the contest’s sponsors, the experts and the speakers who accompanied the competition, providing crucial practical knowledge and detailed suggestions for contestants to improve their projects in the best way, and the students who have devoted their passion and enthusiasm to the contest during the past time.

The Final Round of the Economist Up 2024 Competition - Integration Journey was honored to have the presence of a highly prestigious Judges Council, including Ms. Doan Phuong Lan - Director General of the Economic Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. An The Dung - Former Director General, Chief Executive Officer of the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, Former Trade Counselor in the UK and the US; Dr. Le Hoang Oanh - Directorate of the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Lich, Former Vietnamese Minister Counsellor to Italy, Former Dean of the Faculty of International Economics, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doan Ngoc Thang - Dean of International Business Faculty, Banking Academy of Vietnam; Mr. Dam Manh Tuan - General Manager at Aeon Vietnam Co.; Dr. Bui Phuong Viet Anh - Chancellor, President of EAS Vietnam IHHR Institute; Ms. Bui Kim Thuy - Director of Song Kim Communications and Consulting Company; Mr. Anh Tu Nguyen - Associate Executive Director at Vinalink Media - Professional Sponsor of the Contest, Founder of Marwuy Crew.

The competitions went through intense Pitching rounds to select the top 2 best teams and the Debate Round to compete for the highest position. The first prize was awarded to the Baby Shark Team for the project "Gia Lai passion fruit exported to the Australian market.” The team that finished in second place and received the "Most Popular Team" award was Happybana, with the project "Cavendish Bananas of Dong Nai Province exported to the Japanese market.” The third prize went to the Chillin' competition team. The organizing committee also awarded the additional prize "Team with a Promising Project" to the BRAINY BEES team with the project "Green-skinned mangoes from An Giang Province exported to the Korean market.”

Being impressed by the excellent performance of the competing teams in the Final Round, Ms. Doan Phuong Lan - Director of the Department of Economic General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a member of the Judge Council, directly presented the gifts to the five contestants of the Baby Shark team, the team that won the First Prize, the opportunity to practice directly at the Department of Economic General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply the knowledge and skills that they have accumulated through the Competition into Department's activities, thereby contributing to contributing diplomatic youth to the economic diplomacy work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Going through a 6-month journey, Economist Up 2024 - Integration Journey has created opportunities for students to participate in the economic integration process, taking advantage of opportunities from Economic Linkages and Freedom Agreements to connect Vietnam with the world, the world with Vietnam, and at the same time open a playground for healthy exchanges, proactive learning as well as enhancing practical experiences for students.

Khanh Huyen - Economist Up 2024

Photos: Economist Up 2024