[UEH 50] 2026 Public Sector Partner Connection Conference: From Knowledge Partnership to Co-Creating Value for a Sustainable Future

21 Sep, 2026

Attending the Conference were: Mr. Le Tien Chau - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government; Mr. Bui Quang Huy - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee; Mr. Phan Xuan Thuy - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission; Mr. Hoàng Minh - Deputy Minister of Science and Technology; Mr. Nguyễn Xuân Hùng - Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor; and Prof. Le Quan - Deputy Minister of Education and Training.

Representing the localities were Mr. Pham Tan Hoa - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tay Ninh Province; Mr. Nguyen Minh Luan - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau Province; Mr. Le Van Phuoc - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang Province; Mr. Nguyen Quynh Thien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Long Province; Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ha - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Khánh Hòa Province; Mr. Tran Phuoc Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quảng Ngãi Province; and Mr. Nguyen Thien Van - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Lak Province.

Representing UEH were Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung - Secretary of the UEH Party Committee, President of UEH; Prof. Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao - Vice President of UEH; Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH; Assoc. Prof. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet - Chairwoman of the UEH Alumni Executive Board; together with leaders of the member colleges, schools/faculties/institutes, and administrative units under and affiliated with UEH.

The Conference was honored to welcome Mr. Le Tien Chau - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government

Overview of the 2026 Public Sector Partner Connection Conference

2026 Public Sector Partner Connection Conference

Throughout its 50-year journey, UEH has identified partnering with the public sector as an integral part of its mission to put knowledge at the service of society. From scientific research, policy consultation and review, and human resource training to knowledge transfer and the promotion of innovation, cooperation activities have gradually brought academic capabilities closer to the specific development needs of localities, regions, and the nation.

On this foundation, the 2026 Public Sector Partner Connection Conference provided an opportunity for UEH and its partners to look back on their cooperation journey, identify emerging needs from practice, and open up an approach from “Partnership” to “Co-Creation” - jointly identifying problems, designing solutions, implementing them, and creating sustainable value and impact.

Speaking at the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau highly appreciated UEH's strategic orientations:

“I highly appreciate the spirit of co-creation and collaborative value creation that the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City has identified in its development strategy for the 2026-2030 period, which means jointly identifying problems, jointly designing solutions, jointly implementing them, and jointly taking responsibility for the outcomes. At the same time, I acknowledge the University's projects to realize this vision, such as digital laboratory models, combined with controlled testing mechanisms for solutions, open-source software and sandboxes to identify digital systems or platforms, and connecting the public sector to support research and policymaking activities.”

Mr. Le Tien Chau - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, speaking at the Conference

50 Years of Serving Society - A Journey of Connecting Knowledge to Address Practical Challenges

In his opening remarks at the Conference, Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung - President of UEH, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the delegates and guests attending the Conference:

“The year 2026 holds special significance as it marks the 50th anniversary of UEH's establishment and development. Throughout this journey, serving society and contributing to the prosperity of localities and the country have always been missions that UEH has steadfastly pursued by connecting knowledge with practical challenges faced by central-level authorities, localities, and businesses.

In the new context, UEH officially announces its Public Sector Partner Connection Strategy for the 2026-2030 period, together with practical models and a digital connection platform. Through this, UEH is committed to mobilizing its full intellectual capacity, capabilities, and resources to pursue long-term partnership, substantive co-creation, and the creation of sustainable value for the country and its people.”

Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung - President of UEH, delivering the opening remarks at the Conference

Three Cooperation Models, Three New Approaches to Building Capacity for Joint Problem-Solving

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH, introduced three representative cooperation models developed from practical challenges in recent years, including Living Lab, Innovation Hub, and the Data-Driven Ho Chi Minh City Economic Growth Dashboard.

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai shares insights into three representative cooperation models

According to Dr. Dinh Cong Khai, while Living Labs bring solutions into real-world environments for testing, Innovation Hubs create spaces that connect people, ideas, and resources to jointly develop solutions, while data platforms aim to transform data into indicators, signals, and evidence supporting decision-making processes. These three models demonstrate a new approach: universities do not merely provide knowledge but can work with partners to identify problems, design solutions, test them in practice, and gradually transfer the results. In this way, the value of cooperation expands from an individual program or task into a capacity for jointly solving problems.

Following the program, UEH expressed its appreciation to the organizations that had cooperated and accompanied the University in recent years by presenting an insignia encapsulating UEH's entire half-century journey: the UEH Knowledge - People - Future Journey Insignia.

Prof. Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao presents commemorative medals to representatives of central-level agencies

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai and Assoc. Prof. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet present commemorative medals to representatives of local agencies

Multidimensional Dialogue: Universities Co-Creating for a Prosperous Vietnam

From the perspectives of the public sector, state-owned enterprises, and research and training institutions, the panel discussion “UEH Public Sector Cooperation Forum: Universities Co-Creating for a Prosperous Vietnam”, chaired by Prof. Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao - Vice President of UEH, raised questions to jointly examine practical needs, challenges requiring solutions, and expectations for the role of universities in co-creating solutions, generating value, and delivering tangible impacts for society.

Overview of the panel discussion “UEH Public Sector Cooperation Forum: Universities Co-Creating for a Prosperous Vietnam”, chaired by Prof. Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao - Vice President of UEH

The panel brought together speakers from diverse fields and perspectives, including Dr. Nguyen Minh Luan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cà Mau Province; Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Vietnam International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City; Dr. Pham Quoc Bao - Chairman of the Members' Council of Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation; and Dr. Nguyen Huu Xuyen - Vice Rector of the School for Training and Development of Science and Technology Officials.

From “Partnership” to “Co-Creation”: Expanding the Cooperation Ecosystem for 2026-2030

Based on a review of cooperation outcomes and emerging needs from partners, UEH announced the Strategic Orientation for Multilateral Cooperation - Public Sector Partnerships for 2026-2030: “From Co-Creating Universities to a Value Co-Creation Ecosystem for Sustainable Impact”. Accordingly, UEH is shifting from bilateral connections toward a Value Co-Creation Ecosystem for a Sustainable Future, following an approach of jointly identifying problems - jointly designing solutions - jointly implementing - jointly creating value. The ecosystem connects Government - University - Business - Community - Environment through models such as UniverCity Innovation Hub, Living Lab, field lab, Sandbox, Open Policy Lab, and digital connection platforms.

In particular, the launch of UEH Connect - a platform connecting the value co-creation ecosystem - enables localities, public organizations, businesses, researchers, experts, and stakeholders to access one another's needs, capabilities, and resources. The platform is designed to support five groups of connections: Co-Education; Co-Research & Knowledge Transfer; Co-Talent & Career Pathways; Co-Innovation; Co-Investing & Giving.

Unlike a conventional cooperation information portal, UEH Connect is envisioned as an open connection point where stakeholders can start from a practical challenge, identify appropriate capabilities and resources, and jointly design and implement solutions. The platform also integrates AI to support the identification of fields, experts, units, and cooperation directions that best match partners' needs.

UEH Connect, the platform connecting the value co-creation ecosystem, is envisioned as an open connection point where stakeholders can start from a practical challenge

Connecting to Act Together, Co-Creating to Create Sustainable Impact

In particular, UEH and the Departments of Science and Technology of provinces and cities, together with research institutes and centers, carried out cooperation signing ceremonies, laying the foundation for continued cooperation programs in research, innovation, digital transformation, and resource development in the next phase.

UEH and representatives of provincial and municipal Departments of Science and Technology sign cooperation agreements

UEH and representatives of research institutes and centers sign cooperation agreements

From the achievements of the journey so far to the connections established today, the 2026 Public Sector Partner Connection Conference concluded successfully, marking a shift in UEH's approach to cooperation: not merely connecting for cooperation, but connecting to jointly create value.

Through this, the Conference opened a new mode of connection between universities and society: from exchange to joint action, from transfer to co-creation, and from individual projects to an ecosystem that generates sustainable impact. A challenge can find the right knowledge. A need can be met with the right resources. And a connection can mark the beginning of a journey of co-creating value.

Building on its 50-year foundation of development, UEH continues to affirm its role as a knowledge partner of the Government, ministries, sectors, localities, and communities; opening pathways through knowledge, advancing innovation through action, and contributing tangible outcomes to localities, communities, and the country.

All delegates attending the Conference take a commemorative photo

Pillars: Education, Research, Community Connecting

News, photos: University Office, Department of Communications and Partnerships