On the afternoon of September 14, 2024, at Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang, Sovico Group visited and held a working session with the university.

Overview of the meeting

Attending the meeting from Sovico Group were Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung – Founder and Chairman of Sovico Group (which includes entities such as Sovico Holding, HD Bank, Vietjet Air, Furama, etc.), Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong – Director of Digital Transformation, and Ms. Tran Gia Ngoc Phuong – Project Director of Furama and IBH Academy. Representing VKU were Assoc.Prof.PhD. Huynh Cong Phap – Rector, Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector, and leaders from various departments, faculties, and centers of the university.

Assoc.Prof.PhD. Huynh Cong Phap is speaking at the meeting

Presiding over the visit, Assoc.Prof.PhD. Huynh Cong Phap warmly welcomed Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung and expressed his pleasure in hosting Sovico Group at VKU.

During the meeting, the university leaders highlighted VKU’s commitment to high-quality training, scientific research, and technology transfer. The university aims to become a leading university in Vietnam with an international outlook in education and research, operating under an advanced management model and a modern, intelligent educational environment.

Founded in 2020, VKU has an annual enrollment target of 1,500 students with an average entrance score of 24 points for 14 fields of study, including information technology, communication, and digital economy. As of now, VKU has nearly 6,000 students and aims to reach 8,000 to 9,000 students by 2025. The faculty consists of over 250 members, including nearly 70 PhDs and associate professors, making up about 41% of the staff. VKU has established a network of over 200 strategic partners, including domestic and international organizations and businesses, involved in training, job placement, sponsorship, and the implementation of bilingual global programs in English, Japanese, and Korean. The university also emphasizes international academic and cultural exchange programs, practical projects, internships, and corporate partnerships, with all students’ theses written and presented in English.

In the field of artificial intelligence, VKU has been offering training since 2021, with 200 students currently enrolled. Notably, VKU is the first university in Central Vietnam to announce a program in semiconductor circuit design engineering, with plans to enroll approximately 500 students from 2024 to 2027 and transition 180 students from related fields to semiconductor design. VKU has collaborated with DSAC Center (Da Nang) and Information Technology Institute (VNU Hanoi) to train 25 core faculty members in semiconductor design and conducted an upskill course for 14 students. The 2024 intake for semiconductor design engineering, with 60 slots, attracted significant interest, with over 1,500 applications, and the entrance score requirement was 27 points, placing it among the top programs nationwide.

VKU is also actively engaging in international projects, including a $7.7 million ODA project from the South Korean government to develop AI and IC workforce, international student exchange programs, and the establishment of an AI and IC laboratory with an investment of nearly 10 billion VND. Additionally, projects are underway to build labs with server systems and high-performance computing systems for AI and IC, with a projected budget of nearly 150 billion VND.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung – Chairman of the Board of Directors is speaking at the meeting

During the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, Chairman of Sovico Group, thanked the university leadership for the warm reception and the impressive information shared by VKU. He noted that Sovico Group is a leading investment conglomerate in Vietnam, with over 40,000 employees (including 3,000 foreign staff from 50 different nationalities), aiming to provide international-quality products and services in finance, aviation, digital transformation, energy, urban development, and tourism across various countries to meet customer needs and integrate into the global economy. Sovico Group is interested in collaborating with VKU on training semiconductor workforce and technical, service, and management personnel for the aviation and tourism sectors, particularly to supply manpower for the Group, especially Vietjet Air.

Assoc.Prof.PhD. Huynh Cong Phap is introducing facility, lab rooms and centers at VKU

At the end of the meeting, the delegation toured the university’s practice labs, server center, Semiconductor and Smart Technology Hub (VKU-SSTH).

Center for Learning Resources and Communication

Some pictures:

144 Views