Edinburgh Napier University and Can Tho University awarded British Council Climate Skills Grant
Picture: Professor Sukanlaya Sawang, Director of CBISS and Project Lead
International collaboration to develop green skills for young people backed by British Council funding
Researchers from ENU’s Centre for Business Innovation and Sustainable Solutions will work with colleagues in Viet Nam
A new international project will see Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) researchers work with partners to develop green skills and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in the UK and Viet Nam.
Developed in collaboration with Can Tho University, a leading institution in the Mekong Delta, Youth Green Innovators for Sustainable Enterprise has been awarded funding under the Climate Skills Global Collaboration Grants, a global programme delivered by the British Council and supported by HSBC.
As part of the initiative, academics from ENU’s Centre for Business Innovation and Sustainable Solutions (CBISS) will provide people aged between 18-30 with training in climate literacy, green business models, circular design and eco-innovation.
Participants will work directly on real-world sustainability challenges, engage with green businesses and social enterprises, and develop hands-on solutions through prototyping and problem-solving activities.
A strand of the programme, entitled Train the Trainer, will deliver climate skills training within participants’ own communities, ensuring long-term impact and sustained capacity-building in both the UK and Viet Nam.
The programme aims to place strong emphasis on equity and inclusion, widening access to structured green skills and entrepreneurship pathways for young people – who are often underserved by traditional routes into emerging green sectors.
Professor Sukanlaya Sawang, Director of CBISS and Project Lead, said: “Climate transition requires more than awareness. It requires skills, confidence and entrepreneurial capability.
“Our aim is to equip young people with the practical tools they need to create sustainable enterprises and contribute to emerging green economies in their own communities.
“This award recognises the strength of our research in sustainable innovation and our commitment to translating that research into meaningful opportunities for young people.
“Through this partnership with Can Tho University, we are not simply delivering training – we are building international networks, practical green enterprise pathways and long-term collaboration between the UK and Viet Nam.”
The Climate Skills Global Collaboration Grants fund partnerships between the UK and Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Viet Nam, helping young people aged 18–30 gain structured green work experience and green entrepreneurship opportunities. The programme is part of the wider Climate Skills initiative supported by HSBC.
Internationally recognised for its work in sustainable innovation, responsible AI and entrepreneurship, you can find out more about ENU’s Centre for Business Innovation and Sustainable Solutions here.