[UEH EngContest 2024] “Sustainable Flourishing I”

14 Mar, 2025

In response to growing global concerns surrounding environmental and social issues, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) stands out as a pioneer in sustainable education in Vietnam. Central to this achievement is the UEH Sustainable Finance Institute (SFI).

If UEH is a garden, then SFI, though still a young sapling, has been constantly striving to fulfill the mission of “Disseminating knowledge and motivation to practice sustainable management and sustainable finance through the development and implementation of training programs, consulting activities and research projects in an inspiring, open and cohesive working environment of like-minded people”. SFI has increasingly affirmed its outstanding and pioneering role in the interdisciplinary field of sustainable management - sustainable finance - environmental engineering.

After only 3 years of operation, SFI has been actively involved in multilateral conferences and activities on sustainable finance and management. The international projects that SFI has participated in with partners IFC/WB, London University, WRI, GGGI, APN... have contributed both practically and academically to sustainable development. SFI recognizes that building a comprehensive education and research ecosystem is a key factor in addressing the pressing demands of modern society and the labor market. Beside focusing on improving the quality of training and research, SFI's development strategy aims to contribute to national and global efforts in promoting sustainable development goals, hence, making a significant contribution to the diverse and sustainable strategy of UEH being implemented.

The Master's Program in Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management (CSEM) at SFI is a key point of pride, helping to train talented students to become important personnel resources for a sustainable future. With an interdisciplinary approach, joining CSEM, students will be equipped with the necessary skills to manage sustainable firms, integrating economic, social and environmental factors. Graduates have many career opportunities in both the public and private sectors. According to the Future of Jobs Report (WEF, 2023), employment in sustainable development has been expanding at a rate of roughly 33–34% per year. Vietnam will see a 20% growth in the need for ESG human resources % in the 2023-2030 period (AIT, 2023).

Having been working at SFI for more than a year and every day I am increasingly proud of both SFI and what I have contributed. Through the opportunities to participate in SFI projects, I have gradually entered the path of sustainability, where “sustainability” is not just a concept but a guiding light, sometimes it is also a nagging thought in my mind. That became the motivation for me to join the CSEM Master’s Program, and it was then that I started to get a deeper understanding of the significance of sustainability for both Vietnamese society and the global future.
The program opened up a new world for me, where I met people with the same passion and ideals. Teachers or classmates, along with friends and colleagues who together built a learning community full of motivation and mutual support. We matured as a team, sharing knowledge, experience, and ambitions, and becoming proficient experts who also exhibit social responsibility.

In addition to profound theoretical knowledge, the program provided many opportunities for practice and real-life experiences, which helped me clearly see the connection between business, environment and social development. These experiences have given me strong motivation to strive harder at work, with the belief that the knowledge and skills I have accumulated will contribute to solving the challenges that Vietnam is facing. Additionally, I hope that by working with future generations of students, I can inspire them to strive for a more sustainable future – not only for our country and future generations, but also for our beloved planet, Mother Nature.

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This article is part of the English Composition Contest series, "Proud of UEH – Multidisciplinary and Sustainable" (UEH - EngContest 2024), organized by UEH for the UEH community. We warmly invite our readers to follow upcoming articles in the next newsletters.

News and photos: CELG Office, UEH Trade Union.