“Glocal Toolkit Co-Creation Towards Net Zero Future” Event: Launch of the smART Hub Living Labs Co-Creation Platform and Opening of the AUD/26 Design Project Exhibition
15 Sep, 2026
As part of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City’s (UEH) strategy to become a multidisciplinary and sustainable university, the smART Hub Living Labs (SHLL) project, under the UEH Sustainable Innovation and Co-Creation Department (UEH CoLab), in collaboration with the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), successfully organized the “Glocal Toolkit Co-Creation Towards Net Zero Future” event on August 18, 2026, at the Vo Thi Sau Campus. The event marked a significant milestone with the announcement of the project’s Development Strategy Towards 2027, the launch of its Co-Creation Platform and official website, and the opening of the AUD/26 Design Project Exhibition, themed “Glocal Toolkit – Decoding Landscape DNA To Grow The Future City.”
On the afternoon of August 18, 2026, the UEH Vo Thi Sau Campus was filled with a formal yet open atmosphere of academic exchange. The event provided a meaningful platform connecting policymakers, academic researchers, businesses, and the student community to explore sustainable urban design solutions toward the goal of Net Zero emissions.
Representing local authorities were Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nha, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Vinh Loc Commune; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Hien, Member of the Ho Chi Minh City Development Research Board; and Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, Member of the Ho Chi Minh City Development Research Board.
Representing UEH leadership were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of UEH; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet, Chairwoman of the UEH Alumni Executive Board; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Tu Anh, Director of the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM) and Head of the UEH CoLab Executive Board; and Mr. Dang The Hien, MA, Project Manager of smART Hub Living Labs (SHLL).
Representatives of partner organizations, businesses, and invited guests included Mr. Vuong An Nguyen and Mr. Truong Tran Trung Hieu, representatives of the Tan Man Kien Truc Project; Ms. Tran Thi Kim Loan, Director of Ong Vang Architecture and Construction One Member Co., Ltd.; Mr. Nguyen Van Dam, Director of Vanda Landscape; Mr. Alan Yeung Woo, Design Director of CPG International Vietnam; and Mr. Pham Nguyen Tri, Chairman of Vnexus Capital Advisors.
The event also welcomed representatives from Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects), SCENE PLUS Architecture Co., Ltd., and other businesses, as well as lecturers and representatives from Boutique Hotel, the Institute of Smart City and Management, UEH CoLab, and all students from the AUD/26 design studio in the Architecture and Smart Urban Design program.
Delegates, lecturers, partners, and students attend the “Glocal Toolkit Co-Creation Towards Net Zero Future” event
Pioneering a Sustainable University: Beginning with the Living Lab Model
Delivering the opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung, President of UEH, affirmed that sustainable development has become an essential pillar deeply integrated into all aspects of the University's Education, Research, Governance, Operations, and Community Engagement activities since 2021.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung shared: “In September 2025, here at the Vo Thi Sau Campus, UEH officially launched smART Hub Living Labs, the University's second on-campus Living Lab model. smART Hub Living Labs was established as a multidisciplinary living laboratory integrating technology, art, and smart urban design to test emission-reduction solutions toward Net Zero. Following a period of experimentation and practical operation, today we are proud to mark another milestone with the official launch of the Co-Creation Platform. We hope this project will serve as a space connecting stakeholders, encouraging community participation, and developing new initiatives that contribute positively to society and the environment.”
From a Living Lab located within the UEH campus, smART Hub Living Labs began exploring a broader question: How can the knowledge and solutions developed here connect with more resources, be further developed collaboratively, and generate a wider impact?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung, President of UEH, delivers the opening remarks
From Local Wisdom to the Glocal Design Toolkit
During the presentation “Local Wisdom – An Interdisciplinary Approach to Architecture,” researchers Vuong An Nguyen and Truong Tran Trung Hieu from the Tan Man Kien Truc Project explored local knowledge through an interdisciplinary perspective.
Such knowledge is embedded in how communities adapt to climate conditions, how materials are selected and utilized, how people organize spaces, and how landscapes and everyday life evolve over time. However, merely “preserving” these values tells only half the story. The more important question is: How can we understand and decode this knowledge, then transform it into principles that can continue to inform the design of the future? This is where the concept of “Glocal” becomes meaningful.
Glocal is not simply the combination of Local and Global. It is a process that begins with a specific locality, develops a deep understanding of its distinctive characteristics, and identifies values that can contribute to broader discussions and challenges. In the context of the Glocal Toolkit, a locality is no longer merely the “context” of design; the locality itself becomes a source of design data.
Mr. Vuong An Nguyen and Mr. Truong Tran Trung Hieu from the Tan Man Kien Truc Project present an approach to understanding local wisdom
Representing the AUD/26 student project team, Doan Hoang Tuong Vy presented an overview of the research and outcomes of the project “Glocal Toolkit – Decoding Landscape DNA To Grow The Future City.” Using the Research by Design methodology, the students conducted fieldwork in Hue and systematically synthesized their findings into a toolkit designed to decode “landscape DNA.” A notable feature of the Glocal Toolkit is that the research goes beyond identifying local characteristics. Data on landscapes, culture, and contextual conditions are transformed into principles that can support urban design thinking and decision-making.
In particular, the research findings were directly applied to a proposed renovation design for the Vo Thi Sau Campus, bringing an academic project into UEH's own experimental environment. This made the journey from Local Wisdom → Research → Design → Living Lab more tangible: knowledge is explored, transformed into practical tools, and then introduced into a real-world environment for further experimentation. However, for a solution to extend beyond a single space or academic project, another essential element is required: the participation of multiple stakeholders.
Doan Hoang Tuong Vy, representing the AUD/26 student team, presents the Glocal Toolkit
From an Experimental Space to a Co-Creation Platform
This important transition was also highlighted in the presentation by Mr. Dang The Hien, MA, Project Manager of smART Hub Living Labs. Building on the discussion of local wisdom and the Glocal Toolkit, Mr. Dang The Hien officially announced the smART Hub Living Labs Development Strategy toward 2027, while launching the project's official website and Co-Creation Platform.
While the Glocal Toolkit demonstrates how knowledge can be transformed into design solutions, the Co-Creation Platform introduces the next step: How can these solutions continue to evolve through collaboration among stakeholders? Under the development direction of smART Hub Living Labs, the UniverCity Innovation Hub model aims to connect resources from Academia, Government, Industry, and Community. Each stakeholder contributes different perspectives, needs, and resources, which, when brought together, can generate initiatives capable of addressing practical challenges. The Co-Creation Platform therefore serves as an invitation to participate in collaborative research, experimentation, and solution development.
Together, these efforts seek to answer the question: “How Can We Co-create the Future Together?”
Mr. Dang The Hien, MA, Project Manager of smART Hub Living Labs, delivers his presentation
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung presents appreciation gifts to participating business partners and experts
This spirit was translated from discussion into action at the Co-Creation Workshop, facilitated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Tu Anh, Director of ISCM and Head of the UEH CoLab Executive Board. Delegates, experts, businesses, and invited guests actively exchanged ideas and contributed their perspectives through group discussions. The guiding questions focused on practical challenges, highlighting the roles of different stakeholders in the journey toward sustainable and Net Zero urban spaces. This represents a defining characteristic of the Co-Creation approach: value lies not only in the final outcome but also in the collaborative process through which stakeholders raise questions, share perspectives, combine resources, and jointly explore solutions.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Tu Anh facilitates the Co-Creation Workshop with delegates
The ideas developed and exchanged through the co-creation process were brought back into an experimental setting through the “Glocal Toolkit – Decoding Landscape DNA To Grow The Future City” Student Project Exhibition. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet, Chairwoman of the UEH Alumni Executive Board; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Tu Anh, Director of ISCM and Head of the UEH CoLab Executive Board; and Mr. Dang The Hien, MA, Project Manager of smART Hub Living Labs, officially marked the opening of the exhibition, which ran from August 19 to August 30, 2026, at the Vo Thi Sau Campus. The exhibition not only showcased the students' research outcomes but also provided the public with a visual understanding of how the Glocal Toolkit analyzes and decodes landscape DNA, while offering opportunities to experience the experimental environment of smART Hub Living Labs.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of the exhibition
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, delegates and guests explored the smART Hub Living Labs experimental space, experienced landscape DNA analysis models presented by students, and engaged in networking and discussions to explore potential opportunities for practical collaboration.
Delegates explore the Glocal Toolkit project displays and the Living Lab experimental space
For smART Hub Living Labs, this journey also marks the beginning of a new development phase, in which the Living Lab gradually evolves beyond an experimental space into a co-creation ecosystem connecting Academia – Government – Industry – Community. The project's official website and Co-Creation Platform continue to create opportunities for researchers, experts, businesses, organizations, and interested community members to learn more, build connections, and participate in initiatives promoting sustainable cities and Net Zero development.
Explore the official smART Hub Living Labs website: smART Hub Living Labs – Official Website
The connections established at the event are expected to grow through future activities and the smART Hub Living Labs Co-Creation Platform. UEH looks forward to continuing its collaboration with partners, experts, students, and communities in co-creating innovative initiatives for sustainable urban development.
Join the Co-Creation Platform: Click here
Additional photos from the event:
Delegates explore the Glocal Toolkit project displays and the Living Lab experimental space
Overview of guests attending the event
Exhibition display area
Student Ho Quang Vinh performs the song “Dam Tinh Mien Trung” (Deep Affection for Central Vietnam)
Article and photos: smART Hub Living Labs Project, Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM) & UEH Sustainable Innovation and Co-Creation Department (UEH CoLab)
