The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday kicked off the 2023 ASEAN Social Impact Program (ASID) in Vietnam, bringing together nearly 100 university students nationwide to explore waste management issues and zero waste models.

The ASIP, funded by the USAID within the partnership with Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV), focuses on a different issue each year based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

The theme of ASIP 2023 is Towards Zero Waste.

Students from 34 universities in the country will be equipped with necessary knowledge related to the environment and sustainable development.

The participants, which will be divided into teams of 10, will engage in interactive training on zero waste, ideation, and project management.

They will also have opportunities to connect with thought leaders in the field, take site visits to companies and organizations with sustainable development models, and collaborate to develop and pitch project proposals to apply the zero waste model into their community.

Three teams with winning projects will receive up to US$10,000 to bring their ideas to life. The project implementation will last for three months.

Bradley Bessire, Deputy Mission Director of USAID in Vietnam, said the impact of climate change is easily felt in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government is well aware of the impact and is already taking action.

Events such as the ASID are expected to pave the way for further changes, since the program attracted the participation of young change makers who develop new ideas and solutions to existing environmental issues, Bessire said.

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