UEH and Efforts in building a Green, Smart University: From Facilities to Eco-friendly campuses

22 Jan, 2025

With nearly 50 years of development, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) has achieved significant milestones in university management, comprehensive infrastructure innovation, and advancing towards a “green” and “smart” international-standard university model. These efforts aim to create an inspiring and creative learning environment. On their journey of promoting sustainable education, UEH has prioritized designing and constructing new facilities according to international sustainability standards. These include optimizing energy efficiency, water management, and waste treatment. These actions not only reduce carbon emissions but also create a green, friendly, and sustainable learning environment for students while expanding community access.

To provide an international-standard teaching and learning environment for lecturers and students, UEH has invested in and completed numerous modern facilities over the past year, which are now ready to serve the needs of the UEH community. Specifically, 17 classrooms at Campus B and Campus D have been renovated, and the offices of the Department of Training and the Human Resources and Organisation Development Department have been upgraded to smart, modern spaces that foster creativity in teaching and working environments.

Notably, with the aim of becoming a hub for producing digital teaching resources and knowledge-sharing media for the community, UEH was funded by the Ministry of Education and Training to establish a studio at Campus A. This studio is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including professional cameras, lights, screens, televisions, computers, teleprompters, speakers, microphones, and 3D Studio Pro systems.

UEH investing in classroom equipment at campuses and expanding studios

The year 2024 marked a significant transformation for UEH Vinh Long with new facilities to meet students' and lecturers' learning, research, and living needs at the branch campus. The Mekong Delta Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE), inaugurated on May 30, 2024, after six months of construction, serves as a pioneering creative space aimed at spreading knowledge, inspiring innovation, and fostering entrepreneurship in the Mekong Delta region. MCIE boasts modern facilities, including six group meeting rooms for 4 - 12 people, a conference room with a 50-person capacity, and a spacious co-working space, providing a dynamic working environment for startup projects.

Modern meeting room and spacious, airy co-working space with open layout, inspiring creativity for startups at MCIE center

Additionally, UEH Vinh Long was sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Training in the project “Investment in IT Application Equipment for Digital Transformation,” which includes seven smart classrooms, each equipped with TVs and interactive screens, accommodating 50 - 100 students. A highlight of this initiative is a high-tech studio designed for video production and broadcasting, significantly enhancing UEH’s teaching, learning, and communication activities.

Practical physics laboratory for students majoring in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, along with a studio room at the branch

Lecturers and students of UEH Mekong during a class in the smart classroom

UEH Vinh Long focuses on both teaching and research and emphasizes student life by upgrading 10 service dormitory rooms. Each dorm room, accommodating eight students, is equipped with air conditioning, bookshelves, wardrobes, and en-suite bathrooms, offering a comfortable and convenient living space.

The upgraded new look of the eight-bed dormitory

Increasing access to UEH's resources and facilities for the community

Over time, UEH campuses, including Campuses A, B, N, and Vinh Long Branch, have been open to welcome visits from businesses, partners, alumni, and high school students through programs such as the Campus Tour and Alumni Tour. UEH continues to expand spaces for community engagement and support. This includes providing innovation spaces for startups at Campus V and the Vĩnh Long branch. The UEH Maker Space – a creative hub for design, assembly, and woodworking enthusiasts – regularly organizes workshops and training sessions for the community. Moreover, English Zone, an outdoor English park at UEH, has become an ideal venue for students from various universities to practice English skills and engage in cultural exchange. The UEH E-History Digital Heritage Room at Campus A frequently welcomes domestic and international visitors to learn about the university’s history, traditions, and development orientations. Notably, UEH has launched the “Sharing Creative and Development Spaces” program, offering free or reasonably priced space for individuals and organizations to hold events, training sessions, meetings, and seminars.

Towards Green, Sustainable, and Eco-Friendly Campuses

As a University with 13 campuses in central districts and Binh Chanh District, UEH recognizes the importance of effectively managing energy, wastewater, and waste within their campuses to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainable development. Solar power systems with a total capacity of over 509,000 kWh have been installed at Campus A, B, and N to efficiently utilize renewable energy. In 2024, these systems produced 470,000 kWh of electricity, successfully reducing 1,270 tons of CO2 emissions – equivalent to planting 12,000 trees. These efforts underscore UEH’s resilience in its green transformation journey, making it a beacon of sustainable education.

The buildings at UEH are equipped with solar panel systems

Not only training the new generation of knowledge, the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City is indeed a Living Laboratory, pioneering in transformation and environmental responsibility. With green and smart buildings, UEH has been and is creating an innovative learning space where people, technology, and nature harmoniously blend. This effort not only provides an ideal environment for students and lecturers but also inspires sustainable development, affirming UEH's long-term commitment on the journey to create a better world.

Welcoming Spring at UEH

In the bustling atmosphere of welcoming the new spring, all campuses of UEH are adorned with a fresh and vibrant appearance, decorated with yellow apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, poinsettias, cockscomb flowers, and lush green grass... all of which have created a modern and lively spring scene at UEH. Joyfully welcoming the new year of Year of the Snake 2025, with a spirit and new aspirations, the collective of the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City is determined to strive together, united in action, to accomplish the set tasks, aiming towards the 50th anniversary of UEH and becoming “Top 250 Leading Universities in Asia by 2030.”

Some images of the facilities welcoming Spring at campuses in Ho Chi Minh City: