On July 8, 2025, FTU welcomed and held a meeting with Mr. Yukihiko Ohkuma – Representative of Jouju Company, Japan – the main sponsor of the Kawai Startup Contest, representing Mr. Mitsumasa Kawai – President of Jouju Group and the Kawai Scholarship Fund.

Attending the meeting from FTU were Assoc. Prof., Dr. Cao Dinh Kien – Director of International Affairs; Ms. Nguyen Huyen Minh – Head of Communication and Community Relations; Ms. Dinh Thuy Tien – Deputy Secretary in charge of the Youth Union; and student Nguyen Thi Bao Linh – President of the Future Entrepreneurs Club (TEC FTU), the club organizing the Kawai startup contest.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Cao Dinh Kien warmly welcomed Mr. Yukihiko Ohkuma’s return to FTU after one year and highlighted the importance of the “Startup with Kawai” contest – a program promoting entrepreneurship and supporting startup projects organized by FTU and Jouju Co., Ltd (Japan) since 2006. Over 20 years, the contest has been a launching pad for promising startup ideas and a connection hub for multiple generations of Vietnamese startups. In 2025, the contest expands its scope to include young founders worldwide.

Mr. Yukihiko Ohkuma expressed his pleasure in returning to FTU, meeting university representatives, and witnessing the contest’s growth and the TEC FTU club’s development. He honored the opportunity to represent Mr. Mitsumasa Kawai and the Kawai Scholarship Fund to accompany this year’s contest and praised the 2024 contest’s scale, creativity, and passion of participants. He believed the 2025 contest would be larger, more professional, and continue to nurture breakthrough startup ideas.

During the session, both sides discussed cooperation plans for the upcoming contest and shared development directions for student startup activities. Ms. Nguyen Huyen Minh expressed appreciation for Jouju Group’s dedicated companionship over 20 years, contributing to the contest’s success and prestige as an intellectual and creative playground for young entrepreneurship enthusiasts amid rapid innovation and integration.

This meeting marks an important milestone confirming the sustainable partnership between FTU and Jouju Group and inspires greater development and impact of the “Startup with Kawai” contest among the student startup community.