On the afternoon of April 24, 2025, Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang, hosted a delegation from University of Ulsan (UOU), Ulsan College (UC), and Ulsan Center of Creative Economy & Innovation (UCCEI), Korea, to discuss potential areas of collaboration based on the orientation of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam.

Overview of the meeting

In attendance, from UC were Ms. Lee Yeon Joo – Dean of International Studies, Mr. Kim Hyun Cheol – Deputy Dean of International Studies, and Mr. Hwang Chul Gil – Department of Naval Architecture & Marine System Engineering. From UOU, Mr. Park Chul Min – Department of International Relations attended. From UCCEI, there were Mr. Kim Heon Sung – President & CEO, and Mr. Cho Hee Chul – Planning Devision Director. Representing VKU, there were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap – Rector, Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector, together with heads of departments, faculties, and centers of the university.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap – Rector of VKU, delivered a speech

At the working session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap expressed his sincere appreciation for the support from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, especially His Excellency Choi Youngsam – the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and Ms. Oh Young Ju – Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises (former Ambassador). They have made significant contributions to promoting the ODA Project for strengthening the academic development of VKU with regard to ICT education, research and governance for the period 2022-2027″, funded by Korean  Government, valued at 7.7 million USD from the non-refundable aid provided by the Korean Government through KOICA.

In his remarks, the Rector shared that in Da Nang city – in the Central of Vietnam, VKU has emerged as a highlight in the friendly relationship between the two countries, with active cooperation and investment from the Korean Government’s ODA funds in the field of education and training. This is evident in outstanding achievements such as: VKU’s entrance exam scores ranking among the top in the Central region and nationwide, with scores ranging from 24 to 27 out of 30 (an average of 8 points per subject); the expansion of training programs from 3 majors to 19 majors/minors, with a focus on current trending areas,  for example,  Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Design, etc.; a current student number of nearly 7,000, which plans to increase to 8,000–10,000 students by 2030. Additionally, VKU has strengthened scientific research activities and cooperation with many strategic partners in Southeast Asia as well as connected many Korean businesses in training and recruitment. Notably, VKU emphasizes international cooperation, offering bilingual programs in English-Vietnamese, Korean-Vietnamese, Japanese-Vietnamese, and connecting businesses to foster innovation. This is clearly reflected in the development of the Innovation Center and the Startup Incubator with the area of 1,500m2 under the ODA project, which is expected to serve as a bridge between students and businesses in startup activities and technology transfer.

Ms. Lee Yeon Joo – Dean of International Studies, representing UC, delivered a speech

On behalf of UC, Ms. Lee Yeon Joo – Dean of International Studies – gave an overview of Ulsan College, a prestigious higher education institution in Ulsan City, Korea, known for its strengths in the training of technology, engineering, applied research, and international cooperation. UC pays special attention to cross-border study with Asian countries, among which Vietnam is considered a long-term potential partner. UC hopes to collaborate with VKU in developing student exchange programs, short-term training courses, international semesters, and academic networking in the near future.

Mr. Kim Heon Sung – President & CEO, representing UCCEI, gave a speech

Representing UCCEI, Mr. Kim Heon Sung – President & CEO – shared the center’s mission of supporting startups, promoting innovation, and connecting resources among universities, businesses, and local governments. UCCEI is one of the important member centers of South Korea’s national startup support network, under the patronage of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises. Mr. Kim highly appreciated VKU’s innovation potential, especially its initiative to establish an Innovation Center and Startup Incubator as part of the KOICA – ODA project. He expressed his desire for UCCEI to accompany VKU in providing entrepreneurship training for students, connecting projects, mentoring with experts, and sharing successful models from Ulsan to be effectively adapted to the university setting in Vietnam.

At the working session, VKU and the Korean partners discussed and shared their orientations for long-term cooperation. Both sides expressed their desire to promote academic exchange programs for lecturers and students, organize internships and student exchange programs in Ulsan and Da Nang, and jointly implement innovative and startup projects. The two parties affirmed their commitment to building a sustainable and substantive partnership, aiming to create meaningful values together in education, research, and innovation between Vietnam and Korea.

The working session opened up many practical cooperation opportunities between VKU and partners from Ulsan, Korea, in the fields of training, research, and innovation. This marks a crucial milestone in strengthening Vietnam–Korea educational ties and also affirms VKU’s role in promoting the innovation ecosystem in the Central region of Vietnam.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication VKU

Some pictures:

87 Views