On the morning of October 24, 2023, the Ulysseus-Danang Forum on Cooperation in Education – Research – Innovation of Smart Cities with the topic of Innovation and Startup took place at Vietnam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang. Within the framework of the Ulysseus-Danang Forum (UDERIF-2023), the conference was organized with the goal of implementing comprehensive, effective and long-term cooperation between the University of Danang and the Ulysseus European University Alliance (Ulysseus), contributing to enhancing the quality of training, scientific research and international cooperation as well as promoting startup and innovation activities.

Overview of the Innovation and Startup Conference within the framework of the Ulysseus-Danang Forum

As for conference participants, on the side of Ulysseus Alliance, there were experts from University of Sevilla (Spain), Technical University of Košice (Slovakia) and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland); On the side of organizations and businesses, there were Ms. Le My Nga – President of WeAngels Innovation Capital, CEO of Vietnam National Innovation Center, Ms. Tran Hanh Trang – Co-Founder and CEO of Enouvo IT Solutions; On the side of organizer – VKU, there was Associate Professor, PhD. Huynh Cong Phap – VKU’s Rector along with leaders of departments, faculties, centers, lecturers, and students of Global Training Programs.

Associate Professor, PhD. Huynh Cong Phap – VKU’s Rector –  delivered the opening speech.

Delivering welcome speech, Associate Professor, PhD. Huynh Cong Phap – VKU’s Rector was pleased to welcome the group of experts from the Ulysseus Alliance and claimed that in recent times, VKU had implemented many international activities and projects on startup and innovation consisting of organizing Incubation Program of Start-up and Innovation Ideas (PISI) and conducting projects ODA-KOICA, HEI ICI, Erasmus+, IPP, … with the purpose of promoting innovation and startup activities for students in the Central region in particular and in Vietnam in general. Hopefully, this conference would contribute to the success of the cooperative relationship between the University of Danang and the universities of the Ulysseus Alliance.

Ulysseus-Danang Forum: Cooperation in Training – Research – Innovation of Smart Cities was put into effect to realize the MOU signed in June 2023 between the University of Danang and the Ulysseus Alliance which is made up of Cote d’Azur University (France), Sevilla University (Spain), Genoa University (Italy), Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), MCI Business School (Austria), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Zitet Crne Gore University (Montenegro) and University of Münster (Germany) with the goal of activating comprehensive, effective and long-term cooperation with the Ulysseus Alliance, contributing to improving the quality of training, scientific research and international cooperation as well as boosting startup and innovation activities.

 Experts from universities and businesses presented at the conference.

In Da Nang, VKU is one of the universities that implemented innovation and startup activities as early as 2015, with the cooperation and establishment of Innovation Incubator as well as  organization of the Incubation Program of Startup and Innovation Ideas (PISI) with the aim of raising students’ spirit of startup and innovation and at the same time encouraging the school to connect and call for external investment and funding for highly viable startup and innovation ideas or projects of students. These activities have played a crucial role in elevating the spirit of innovation, thinking and awareness change, daring to think, daring to do, daring to overcome failures to succeed. Meanwhile, they fostered important driving force to connect 3 parties of State – Schools – Investors in schools along with professional support of PUM – Netherlands, many other experts and businesses. As a result, innovation and startup activities have spread information to hundreds of universities, colleges and high schools and connected  investors such as PUM-Netherlands and Dariu Fund; Supported for 252 pre-incubation startup projects comprising Smart Mirror project – a typical project getting funding to implement sample products from the US Lotus Fund which were displayed and used at resorts in Da Nang city; Conducted more than 100 training courses on startup and publishing the bilingual startup book “Entrepreneurship Book of Vietnamese Cases – Những khởi nghiệp điển hình tại Việt Nam” used for domestic and international universities.

Innovation and Startup Conference aimed to push innovation of training programs, strengthen research cooperation with advanced universities in Europe, and organize startup and innovation programs for pupils and students in the Central – Central Highlands in particular and the whole country in general. At the conference, experts presented, shared and discussed issues related to innovation and startup activities such as Promoting innovation in business – The role of universities, Research of innovation and startup in Spain and Finland; Vietnam’s startup ecosystem: What factors make a successful startup?

 Roundtable discussion session among VKU, member universities of Ulysseus Alliance and representatives of organizations and businesses

Immediately after the conference, a roundtable discussion took place among VKU, member universities of Ulysseus Alliance and representatives of organizations and businesses in order to propose ideas, orientations and implementation solutions with the goal of realizing innovation and startup activities among lecturers and students such as cooperating in training and research in the fields of startup and innovation, finding solutions to promote STEM training in high schools and Vietnamese universities, organizing competitions or activities, changing thinking and changing curricula and research programs. Simultaneously, the discussion also aimed to seek solutions to implementing joint international cooperation projects on green energy and sustainable development, organize exchange programs for lecturers, students and researchers and develop joint training programs 2+2, 3+1.

The UDERIF-2023 Forum together with Innovation and Startup Conference has contributed to proposing orientations and solutions for relevant parties to proceed with cooperation in building up and implementing specific international cooperation projects and schemes based on the Cooperation Framework between the University of Danang and the Ulysseus Alliance to meet common needs and interests in the fields of education and research, innovation and startup.

Some pictures: