Vietnam Launches "Smart Student" Contest on Combating Illegal Multi-Level Marketing

The National Competition Commission (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade), in coordination with Herbalife Vietnam, has announced the organization of the "Smart Student 2026" contest. This initiative aims to equip university and college students with legal knowledge and skills to identify and prevent illegal multi-level marketing (MLM) activities. The competition is open to students from universities and colleges in the central region and neighboring areas. According to the contest regulations, the online preliminary round will be held from September 10 to September 30, 2026, via the program's official application portal. Each student can participate only once, with results determined by the number of correct answers and the total time taken. Notably, preliminary round scores will be aggregated not only for individuals but also for each participating institution. The top five institutions with the highest cumulative scores will advance to the final round. This approach encourages collective participation and allows students' efforts to directly contribute to their institution's chances of competing. The contest content will focus on practical issues related to MLM operations, including what students should be aware of when invited to participate in MLM sales, how to identify illegal MLM schemes, relevant legal provisions, and the role of state management in this sector. Beyond knowledge assessment, the final round will incorporate hypothetical scenarios, short plays, and public speaking segments. This aims to encourage students to apply their legal knowledge, critical thinking, and creativity to present viewpoints and solutions for enhancing the effectiveness of legal enforcement. The final round and awards ceremony are tentatively scheduled to take place in Da Nang city on October 30, 2026. The specific timing will be announced by the organizing committee after the preliminary round results are finalized. Finalist teams will compete in three parts: introduction, legal play, and debate. This is considered a highlight, as legal knowledge will be conveyed through visual and engaging formats, linked to real-life situations. In addition to educational and skill-building value, this year's contest features a notable prize structure. The preliminary round will award 10 individual prizes, each worth VND 2.75 million. At the final round, the first-place team will receive a total of VND 85 million; the second-place team VND 60.5 million; the third-place team VND 47.5 million; and two consolation prizes of VND 39.5 million each. Through this competition, the organizing committee seeks to bring legal knowledge about MLM closer to students, contribute to enhancing legal compliance awareness, protect the rights of students and citizens, and promote awareness of a transparent and healthy business environment. Source: Nhan Dan