UEH Welcomes Delegation from the Embassy of Singapore at UEH Mekong: Expanding International Knowledge Exchange and Sustainable Strategic Partnerships

30 Aug, 2026

On August 26, 2026, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) welcomed a delegation from the Embassy of Singapore to UEH Mekong as part of the official visit by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to Vietnam, based in Hanoi.

UEH representatives take a commemorative photo with the Singapore Embassy delegation at UEH Mekong

The delegation from the Singapore Embassy included: Mr. Rajpal Singh – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to Vietnam, based in Hanoi; Mr. Pang Te Cheng – Consul-General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Goh Keng Phang – Counsellor (Economic), Embassy of Singapore in Hanoi; Ms. Jaclyn Chia – Officer, Consulate-General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Thong Kieu Anh – Executive Assistant, Consulate-General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City.

Representatives of UEH leadership welcoming the delegation included: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong – Chairman of the Development Strategy Council; Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh – Chairman of the Academic and Training Council; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Duong Phuong Thao – Deputy Head of the Department of Research, Development and Global Engagement at UEH; Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Lieu – Director of UEH Mekong; Mr. Ho Thien Quyen, MA – Deputy Director of UEH Mekong, along with leaders and staff members of the UEH Department of Research, Development and Global Engagement and units of UEH Mekong.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong welcomes Mr. Pang Te Cheng, Consul-General of Singapore in Ho Chi Minh City

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Lieu, Director of UEH Mekong, welcomes the Singapore Embassy delegation during their visit and meeting at UEH Mekong

Celebrating UEH's 50th anniversary, the Singapore Embassy delegation takes commemorative photos to mark their visit to UEH Mekong

The delegation takes a commemorative photo at the Smart Library, UEH Mekong

The delegation takes a commemorative photo at the Mekong Delta Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE), UEH Mekong

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong, Chairman of the UEH Development Strategy Council, delivers his welcoming remarks

Opening the meeting, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong, Chairman of the UEH Development Strategy Council, expressed his pleasure and honor in welcoming the Singapore Embassy delegation on their first visit to UEH Mekong and the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. He introduced UEH and emphasized that UEH Mekong plays an integral role in the University's commitment to educational and community responsibility in the Mekong Delta. Regarding Singapore, UEH has established and continues to develop extensive academic partnerships with leading universities, including the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). These partnerships involve a wide range of activities, such as student exchanges, international internships, and research scholarships for UEH students. In 2019, Singaporean experts collaborated strategically with UEH to study and apply the international startup incubation model of Singapore Management University (SMU), leading to the establishment of the UEH Institute of Innovation (UII). As UEH's first startup incubator operating under an international model, UII was inspired by the SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU-IIE). On behalf of UEH, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong expressed his sincere appreciation for Singapore's support and cooperation and warmly welcomed the delegation to UEH Mekong.

Mr. Rajpal Singh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to Vietnam, based in Hanoi, delivers his remarks

In response to the welcoming remarks, Ambassador Rajpal Singh expressed his appreciation for the warm and thoughtful reception provided by UEH leadership at UEH Mekong. He highly valued the development potential and prospects of the Mekong Delta region and reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to growing together with Vietnam through the strong cooperative relationship between the two countries. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of food security in Singapore, an island nation that relies on imports for more than 90% of its food supply. Consequently, Singapore is seeking strategic partners in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, as potential alternative food suppliers to strengthen its preparedness for emergencies. He also highlighted the mutually beneficial nature of this bilateral partnership and expressed his hope for further in-depth discussions on future academic exchanges and expert collaboration.

During the meeting, representatives of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City also introduced the delegation to UEH and UEH Mekong, highlighting the University's educational scale, achievements in global academic rankings, academic research activities, national and international conferences, as well as its vision, strategies, and mission in developing high-quality human resources and contributing to the sustainable development of Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta region in particular.

Ms. Thai Thu Phuong (UEH) and Ms. Vo Thi Thuy Hang (UEH Mekong) introduce UEH and UEH Mekong

Discussion and exchange on academic activities

During the detailed discussion, Ambassador Rajpal Singh expressed particular interest in understanding how educational programs are implemented across UEH's main campus and its regional branches.

Mr. Rajpal Singh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to Vietnam, based in Hanoi, participates in the discussion

Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh, Chairman of the Academic and Training Council, shares his perspectives during the meeting

Prof. Dr. Su Dinh Thanh, Chairman of the Academic and Training Council, explained that UEH maintains consistency in its academic programs, educational quality, and degree qualifications across its main campus and regional branches. This approach enables local residents to access high-quality education more conveniently without bearing the significant costs associated with studying in Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dong Phong expressed his desire to further strengthen academic exchange activities, particularly opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students to conduct field research in the Mekong Delta. Such initiatives would build upon previous research projects undertaken in Vietnam by Singaporean professors.

Following the productive discussions, Ambassador Rajpal Singh accepted the invitation to attend UEH's 50th Anniversary Celebration in Ho Chi Minh City, which would also provide an opportunity for both sides to engage in more detailed discussions on research collaboration plans at UEH and potentially with partner universities across the region.

The meeting concluded successfully, opening promising opportunities for deeper and more extensive cooperation between the two sides in the near future. Representatives of UEH leadership presented commemorative gifts to the Singapore Embassy delegation as a token of appreciation.

UEH leadership presents commemorative gifts to the Singapore Embassy delegation

Additional photos:

The Singapore Consulate-General delegation tours the facilities and learns about student startup models at UEH Mekong

UEH Mekong students confidently communicate in English while introducing their startup space and student cooperative model

UEH Mekong students introduce themselves and their academic programs to the Singapore Embassy delegation, sharing their upcoming campus transfer to Ho Chi Minh City