UEH Launches Pilot Smart Solution Project on Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) Bus Operations in Collaboration with K-City Network

10 May, 2026

On May 7, 2026, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) organized the Launch Ceremony of the Pilot Smart Solution Project on Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) Bus Operations in collaboration with K-City Network. The event marked the beginning of an international cooperation program between UEH and Korean partners to develop smart and sustainable transportation solutions within university and urban environments.

Attending the event, representatives from the Public Transport Management Center included: Mr. Le Hoan - Deputy Director of the Center; Mr. Pham Vuong Bao - Deputy Director of the Center; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh - Head of Quality Management Division; and Mr. Ly Ngoc Tri - Deputy Head of Operations Management Division.

Representing the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement via online participation were Ms. Yeon-hee Kim - Head of the Urban Economy Division; Ms. Jeong-hee Jeong - Standing Deputy Head of the Urban Economy Division; Dr. Sang-mo Moon - Director of the Smart City Industry Support Center; Dr. Jeong-ha Lee - Principal Researcher; and Mr. Hae-joon Kim - Researcher.

Representing Korean partners were: Dr. Jin-Dong Kang - Vice President and Director of Partnership Relations at Studio Galileo; Mr. Young-Jin Yuk - Research Director at Studio Galileo; Dr. Jin-Kak Lee - Research Director at Naeil E&C; Dr. Duk-Geun Yun - Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT); Dr. Jung-Gon Sung - Senior Researcher at KICT; and Mr. Ho-Yoon Lee - Post-Master’s Researcher at KICT.

From UEH, attendees included: Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH; Assoc. Prof. Trinh Tu Anh - Director of the Institute of Smart City and Management, together with faculty members operating the project; Mr. Nguyen Van Duong - Interim Deputy Head of the Department of Student Affairs; Mr. Phan Lam Thao - Deputy Head of the Department of Student Affairs; and Dao Thi Minh Huyen - Head of Office of the College of Technology and Design, UEH.

Overview of the Project Launch Ceremony at UEH

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH - emphasized the strategic significance of the project as UEH moves toward becoming a smart and sustainable university: “As a multi-campus university with continuously expanding operations, UEH is facing challenges related to transportation connectivity, mobility efficiency, and environmental impacts. In this context, traditional transportation models are no longer sufficiently flexible to meet increasingly diverse demands. The DRT project represents a transformative solution based on real-time data and a user-centered approach.”

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Vice President of UEH delivering opening remarks at the Launch Ceremony

The DRT project aims to develop a flexible transportation model optimized to meet actual mobility demands, thereby improving the user experience, enhancing operational efficiency, and minimizing environmental impacts. This is also one of UEH’s concrete initiatives to advance its Green Campus strategy and contribute to Ho Chi Minh City’s orientation toward sustainable urban transportation development.

The collaboration between UEH and its partners goes beyond technology transfer, aiming instead to co-create knowledge, pilot innovative models, and develop practical evidence with scalability potential for the future. In particular, with the participation of the Public Transport Management Center, the project is expected to align closely with the City’s urban transportation development orientation and policy framework.

Mr. Le Hoan - Deputy Director of the Public Transport Management Center discussing the project with Korean partners during the ceremony

UEH positions the project as a “Living Lab” - a convergence point for technology, policy, and academic research. It will serve as a platform for faculty members, students, and partners to jointly conduct research, experiment with, and develop smart transportation solutions, while contributing to evidence-based policymaking through practical outcomes.

In the coming time, the project is expected to deliver tangible outcomes and impacts, including improving accessibility and user experience, minimizing environmental impacts, and optimizing the operational efficiency of transportation systems.

The launch ceremony not only opened opportunities for extensive international collaboration but also reaffirmed UEH’s pioneering role in linking research and innovation with the practical development of sustainable urban environments./.