Recognizing one of the disadvantages of Vietnamese students is how to apply academic knowledge into reality as well as how to use soft skills for success, HSBC has introduced the HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition to Vietnam. Via the competition, the bank seeks to equip students with employability skills, help them experience the international working environment and challenges, and preparing themselves for future working life.
Aside from the launch of the program, HSBC Vietnam has been organizing a wide range of activities to make positive contributions to the community where it operates, as the bank understands that the sustainable growth of a business must be aligned with a sustainable community.
Nurturing business leaders
In Vietnam, the Business Case Competition has marked its sixth year in 2020. HSBC Business Case Competition in Vietnam, which takes place in three consecutive days, with the participation of more than 10 teams from prestigious universities, is the local round to identify the representative for Vietnam at the regional competition.
The judging panel for the national competition consists of senior executives from HSBC Vietnam and the industries. The contestants will compete in groups of four third-year and fourth-year students, and the national champions will represent Vietnam at the regional competition.
Two years ago, Vietnam’s representatives joined the regional competition and excellently won the first runner-up position. Those contestants are now taking up different positions either in leading corporations, startups or private companies, contributing to the development of the country.
As shared by Tran Vo Thanh Tu, a champion of the HSBC Business Case Competition 2018 in Vietnam, as well as the first runner up at the HSBC/HKU Business Case Competition 2018 in Hong Kong, experience she earned from joining the competition helps her a lot at present. Tu, who graduated from RMIT Vietnam this year, currently works as Retail Manager at her family’s company called Trang Sport Center, a distributor of sports equipment in HCMC.
“My experience with the HSBC Business Case Competition 2018 was indeed life-changing. […] I have learned so much more about people and business. I was given the opportunity to understand different aspects of business in the most practical and efficient way. Throughout six months from January 2018 to June 2018, I was constantly challenged and demanded to become better everyday. That was how I grew. That was how I practiced resiliency, teamwork and creativity. That was how I learned so much more about myself to create a strong foundation that has been helping me succeed in my career,” she told the Saigon Times.
Tran Duy Kien, the first runner up of HSBC Business Case Competition 2019 in Vietnam, said that problem solving and communication are two skills that he learned from the competition and are very helpful for him in his current job when dealing with senior C-level executives.
Kien, who is a fresh graduate of Hanoi Foreign Trade University and is working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company Vietnam, explained: “HSBC’s business cases in the competition are often very long and related to unpopular industries, which require us to solve in a short time. We are forced to enhance our synthesis skill, seek the important information and single out the right problems to solve. Moreover, making the presentation in front of HSBC’s senior management team during the competition helped build our confidence and communication skill.”
Ngo Dang Khoa, director of the Monetary and Capital Market Department of HSBC Vietnam, head of the competition’s organizing board, said: “We are proud to witness the growth and maturity of our contestants during the competition. They knew how to listen and quickly improved themselves.”
Contributing to society
Since setting up its foothold in Vietnam, HSBC Vietnam has pledged commitment to the communities in which it operates.
Every year in Vietnam, HSBC sets aside an average VND10 billion to support community activities. Depending on the specific time with different circumstances, the budget and direction can be adjusted to ensure the bank offers the best support to the society.
Especially, these activities are conducted by HSBC Vietnam’s employees who have set their footprint in 40 of the country’s 63 localities, benefiting and changing millions of people’s lives.
Further, 500 volunteers of the bank annually contribute over 10,000 volunteering hours. Of this, 1,000 hours are contributed by senior management members.
By Thuan An
