In the current context of global competition, Vietnamese students should reach beyond their country and become global students, said a world-acclaimed economist.

Prof. Klaus Schwab, Founder - Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), delivered this message at a dialogue, entitled “Global competition and the Vietnamese youth’s role” with students from the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, on June 8.

Schwab advised Vietnamese students to study harder, expand networking and seek opportunities to explore the world from different aspects so that they can accumulate experiences. Students must define their own ways since in school, he said.

At the dialogue, Schwab spoke of the impacts posed by the global financial crisis in late 2008 on the world economy, especially economic powers such as the United States and Japan .

He attributed the crisis to the fact that economic institutions that were set up after the second World War have now failed to catch up with scientific and technological advances, noting that the strong development of biotechnology has directly affected the global economy.

The professor also shared his assessments about Vietnam as well as its educational development directions and other socio-economic issues.

On this occasion, the university conferred an honourary doctorate degree in economics on Prof. Schwab in recognition of his great contributions to global economics and long-standing commitments to Vietnam./.