This Summer, Fulbright University Vietnam and Schoolab offered scholarships to Vietnamese students to participate in the entrepreneurship Silicon Valley Impact Camp (SVIC) in Berkeley, California, USA.
The Silicon Valley Impact Camp is an intensive four-week program. It presents a unique opportunity for young individuals interested in making a positive impact on the world through entrepreneurship. Seven Fulbright students spent their summer in Berkeley, California, USA to learn, experiment, and initiate entrepreneurial projects.
Fulbright students participated in the Silicon Valley Impact Camp (SVIC) in Berkeley, California, USA. The program was supported by Fulbright University Vietnam and Schoolab.
Fulbright students joined entrepreneurship camp at Silicon Valley Impact Camp, CA, USA
Fulbright University Vietnam strives to diversify our students’ learning experience. With a focus on Business and Entrepreneurship, SVIC attracted Fulbright students from diverse academic backgrounds, from Economics, Psychology, Human-centered Engineering, to Social Studies. The entrepreneurship camp ignited the creativity and curiosity of Thien Luan, a Psychology major from the Class of 2025: “Entrepreneurship used to be a relatively unfamiliar topic to me, so I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to combine my interests with business to better understand their feasibility and application in life.”
Trung Kien, Class of 2025, majoring in Social Sciences, decided to join SVIC to “understand the factors and methods which had transformed this area into a global hub for innovation and creativity with numerous successful companies.”
Hong Hai, a student of the Class of 2026 majoring in Psychology, won the runner-up award for the most potential project at Silicon Valley Impact Camp. With the support of Fulbright, Hong Hai achieved her dream of introducing her project to international students: “If I say Schoolab is a dream opportunity for me to step out into the world, Fulbright is the driving force that motivates me to achieve that dream. Fulbright has given me the opportunity to develop my potential and achieve my dreams.”
Moreover, this was a great opportunity for students to visit and experience Silicon Valley. Trung Kien, Class of 2025, majoring in Social Sciences, decided to join the camp to “understand the factors and methods which had transformed this area into a global hub for innovation and creativity with numerous successful companies.”
Fulbright students concretize their ideas in practical learning programs and diverse activities
The SVIC provided opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking and other essential skills to become change-makers in society. The program was designed with a deep focus on sustainability, equity, and inclusion. SVIC offered practical and diverse learning methods each week, combining theory with real-world exchanges through attracting workshops.
One of the most impactful topics at the entrepreneurship camp for Trung Kien was the User Interview module. This topic addressed one of the challenges in his project development process: “When I have concerns about an issue and want to develop a product, I also need to find out if others are interested in that issue and what specific aspects they care about.”
Students at SVIC entrepreneurship camp came from various different countries
SVIC students working on a exercise on product development
Fulbright student presented their project in class at SVIC.
Throughout the four weeks of SVIC entrepreneurship camp, students received careful guidance and thorough mentoring to generate ideas and commence the development of their projects. Fulbright students brought to the Silicon Valley Impact Camp innovative and creative project ideas. Thien Luan aimed to establish a psychological service geared towards helping adolescents with their mental health. Hong Hai, Psychology major, Class of 2026, aimed to create an edtech platform focusing on soft skills. This is to help high school students in Vietnam with future orientations and active learning skills.
At the end of the camp, students presented their projects to a panel of judges consisting of venture capitalists, business companies, and scholars. This was a valuable opportunity for students to receive feedback and suggestions to enhance and develop their projects and/or products.
Fulbright students and classmates in front of Sather Gate UC Berkeley, California, USA
Silicon Valley ecosystem visits
During SVIC, students participated in workshops and visited some of the most innovative companies in the world. Thien Luan shared his thoughts and impressions on these industry visits: “Visiting Google and Stanford was truly awe-inspiring. I was impressed by the scale of the Google headquarters and Stanford University. They are so ‘green.’ And I also had the chance to join the lecture by Vincent Dureau, the Technical Director of Google Assistant, and some scholars from Stanford University.”
SVIC students visited Google’s Headquarter in Mountain View, California
SVIC students visited Stanford University
New life experience
Summer camp is an opportunity for Fulbright students to experience their first moments in the United States. It was Hong Hai’s first time exploring San Francisco and Oakland. It was Thien Luan’s first time applying for a visa and traveling to the U.S. on his own. It was Trung Kien’s first time watching fireworks on USA Independence Day. He explored many science and technology museums. Kien and his friends also had the opportunity to cheer for the Vietnamese Women’s World Cup team in the heart of San Francisco.
Fulbright students visited a local museum during the weekend
After over a month of experience and learning at the Silicon Valley Impact Camp, each student had their own lessons and experiences. Hong Hai noted: “Silicon Valley is a mindset, not just a location.” The most significant lesson Hai learned from the trip was the Silicon Valley Mindset, “which is the willingness to accept failure, the readiness to hear hundreds of rejections from investors, and the willingness to endure millions of criticisms. Failure is merely a test; whether you face bankruptcy or painful setbacks, it is still just a test. What you need to do is quickly stand up and continue, to eventually succeed.”
The Silicon Valley Impact Camp was an insightful experience for Fulbright students to cultivate their entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. The growth in their critical thinking, knowledge, and skills will serve as a foundation for students to continue pursuing and developing their projects.
SVIC entrepreneurship camp students after the project pitching session at the end of the summer school
About Schoolab:
Schoolab is an innovative studio that connects business companies, startups, and students from leading universities worldwide to create innovative and sustainable projects. Schoolab recognizes the challenges and difficulties faced by young people in making a positive impact and changing the world. Therefore, Schoolab is committed to becoming a destination for nurturing the spirit and providing opportunities to drive innovative actions among young individuals.
Thanh Mai
