Around 20 students from
universities in Southeast Asian countries will come to Vietnam to join students
of the HCM City Banking University, in a project to assist farmers in the Binh
Phuoc province.

The project is part
of the community economic development program (SEED), implemented by member
universities of the ASEAN Link of Training (ALN) in disadvantaged rural areas
in Southeast Asia.

For the first time
in Vietnam,
this project will be carried out in five hamlets in Tan Lap commune, Dong Phu
district, and Binh Phuoc province. SEED will research and evaluate the
effectiveness of some production models like planting cashews, peppers,
mushrooms, organic vegetables, breeding frogs, chickens and wild pigs.

The research will
have the participation of students from universities in Southeast
Asia. The research will be transferred to businesses and banks, as
the grounds for them to consider  loans
to farmers to develop these production models. The research will be also given
to local governments and local residents to develop local economies.

Prof. Li-choy Chong
from Switzerland-based St. Gallen University, the project founder, said that
this program would not only assist farmers to develop suitable economic models,
to bring their products to the market, but also be a good environment to
internationalize teaching activities.

“This is a chance
for ASEAN students to get experience and learn about culture of different
countries and to make a good assistant network for teaching, studying and
research. Young and enthusiastic students will contribute a lot of good ideas
to the research process and good solutions for farmers,” he said.

The project will be
implemented in Vietnam from
July 18-31 in the southern province
of Binh Phuoc.

PV