Founded in 1892, today Haileybury is Australia’s largest school and is one of the country’s leading independent centres of academic excellence. The school has earned a reputation in Australia and within Asia for its leadership in learning and teaching.

In the past few years, the school’s forward-looking approach has seen it introduce a series of programs that equip students with the skills that are increasingly essential for academic and career success. These 21st century skills include creative and entrepreneurial thinking that are vital for students’ success, no matter where they live in the world.

Haileybury’s expertise and knowledge are now being made available to students in Vietnam through the new Haileybury Pangea online school.

The first subject offered is entrepreneurship, with students being taught by Haileybury’s leading teachers and being mentored and guided by successful Australian entrepreneurs who have started their own creative businesses.

“Haileybury is well-known for its outstanding entrepreneurship program,” says Ms Anna Sever, Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning) at Haileybury.

“Entrepreneurship is a compulsory subject for students in Year 8 and in Year 9 when students take part in the Haileybury Incubator Project. They develop their own startup businesses and then pitch to a panel of teachers and leaders at Haileybury for seed funding to get their business off the ground.

“We value entrepreneurship very highly and Haileybury Pangea allows students across Vietnam to learn and benefit from our expertise in this area.”

Australia is a thriving centre for entrepreneurial business. It is home to many successful start-ups that have been founded by young Australians with a smart idea and the skills to effectively turn that smart idea into a reality.

Haileybury Pangea’s Entrepreneurship program has been developed by Mr Damien Meunier, Head of Entrepreneurship who has secured the support of renowned startup communities including Hacker Exchange and startupbootcamp who will provide masterclasses to students.

Haileybury Pangea’s Entrepreneurship program has been developed by Mr Damien Meunier, Head of Entrepreneurship who has secured the support of renowned startup communities including Hacker Exchange and startupbootcamp who will provide masterclasses to students.

“Startupbootcamp is a global accelerator for startup businesses and the CEO of that organisation is a Haileybury alumnus. They are keen to support us with developing a pipeline of future entrepreneurs,” says Mr Meunier.

“We have access to a number of experts working in the startup industry in the real world who will teach students how to do a great business pitch and who will provide feedback on a student’s proposed business model. Those connections also provide important industry networks within Australia for students. Networking is a vital part of the entrepreneurship startup ecosystem.”

Students study the essentials of entrepreneurship such as how to present and sell their business ideas, financial modelling, problem solving, understanding their customer and market, and how to test and validate their business idea.

Students who complete the single semester program receive Australian industry endorsed Haileybury credits and recognised microcredentials that are supported by Hacker Exchange and startupbootcamp.

Importantly, Haileybury Pangea entrepreneurship students who successfully complete a capstone assessment at the end of the program receive credits to support their entry to selected universities in Australia.

“Swinburne University in Melbourne is offering a 2-point ATAR boost for any course. We have a similar partnership with the University of Adelaide Business School undergraduate program where students get one undergrad course credit for any course. We are looking to expand these opportunities to other Australian universities, too,” says Mr Meunier.

Haileybury Pangea students will also be encouraged to build their experience and learning by entering global entrepreneurship competitions such as the World Series of Innovation and the Blue Ocean High School Entrepreneurship Competition as well as First Pitch for Kids and Westpac Youth Impact Challenge in Australia.

“During the program, students develop assets like business plans and pitching videos that they can enter into competitions and potentially get global recognition,” says Mr Meunier.

The decision to launch Haileybury Pangea in Vietnam ahead of other countries is based on Vietnam’s position as one of the most entrepreneurial nations in South East Asia and the country’s existing ties to Australia.

Mr Meunier says Vietnam’s next generation of entrepreneurs will benefit from developing their creative thinking skills, their proficiency with industry standard digital tools and by putting their ideas into practice.

The program involves two hours of contact time per week with students completing four to six additional hours of work each week to support their learning.

“We expect students to finish the program with their entrepreneurial spark lit. They will see problems as opportunities and they will have the mindset, tools and skills to execute their ideas,” says Mr Meunier.

“This is an ideal program for students who are passionate, curious and who feel empowered to make a change in the world.”

To learn more about the program, contact us at pangea@haileybury.vic.edu.au or contact our Vietnamese representative at +61 3 9904 6110 or on Zalo https://zalo.me/1215367913431032587.