On May 30, 2026, the Final Round of the J-START 2026 Student Entrepreneurship Competition took place at The University of Da Nang - University of Foreign Language Studies (UD-UFLS). The event brought together competing teams of students majoring in Japanese language and culture.

According to the Organizing Committee representatives, a highlight of this year's competition is the direct connection with Japanese enterprises. This linkage helps students bridge academic knowledge with their Japanese language skills, while enhancing their entrepreneurial capacity and global integration.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Long, Rector of UD-UFLS, shared that J-START 2026 was organized to create an innovative and engaging academic playground. Through this, it aims to foster entrepreneurial thinking, cultivate core capabilities, and develop business ideas and plans.

Furthermore, the competition aims to connect the university and businesses to support students, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to integrate into both regional and international labor markets.

Highly appreciating the accompanying partner enterprises, the University's leaders affirmed that in the context of intense globalization and digital transformation, integration capacity and innovative entrepreneurship have become essential trends and requirements to equip the new generation of students.

At the J-START 2026 Final Round, 09 competing teams presented highly feasible projects and ideas with strong startup potential across various sectors, such as creative fashion products, as well as tourism models and experiential services tied to promoting local cultural identity.

The highlight of the competition was that teams presented their projects and ideas in Japanese, convincing the Board of Judges with their knowledge, presentation skills, and creative thinking.

With valuable professional feedback from the Panel of Judges, students can further refine their products and projects in the future to closely align with practical demands, especially meeting the production and business requirements of Japanese enterprises.

In the final results, the Organizing Committee awarded First Prize to the idea "Applying Calcined Seashell Powder in Bio-products"; Second Prize to the "En To Sachi Blind Bag Rice" idea; and two Third Prizes to "Viet Memory" (Việt ký ức) and "AI Closet". The Organizing Committee also presented one Consolation Prize, along with the Takashi Design Prize, the Takashi Special Prize, the B-Productions Prize, the Yamamoto Tsuyoshi Prize, and the Most Popular Award.

With a new direction that links language skills with innovation and entrepreneurship, J-START 2026 not only inspires students but also contributes to bridging the gap between training and practice, and between the university and enterprises. It strengthens the internationalization strategy of higher education, further elevating the academic reputation of UD-UFLS.

UD Media