On the morning of December 20, 2025, at Ba Na Hills, Da Nang City, the International Conference on the Digital Economy and Fintech Innovation (DeFi 2025) was officially opened. This marked the first large-scale event of its kind in Central Vietnam, bringing together nearly 200 authors and scientists. The conference was initiated and hosted by Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), The University of Danang, and co-organized by Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), under the technical sponsorship of IEEE Vietnam Section and the IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Vietnam Chapter, with the support of the ACIR Community, along with many prestigious universities, research institutes, organizations, and enterprises from Vietnam and abroad.

Overview of the DeFi 2025 Conference

Attending the opening session of DeFi 2025, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector of VKU and Chair of the Organizing Committee; and Prof. Kwak Jae Sung, ODA Project Management Consultant Director (KOICA), Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), President of the Korea Association for International Development and Cooperation (KAIDEC), and Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee. The opening ceremony also welcomed a large number of scientists, experts, keynote speakers, representatives of governmental agencies, international organizations, universities, and enterprises, along with nearly 200 authors from 11 countries and territories. The academic setting at Ba Na Hills became a meeting point of diverse perspectives, reflecting the growing interest of the international scientific community in key issues of the digital economy, financial innovation, and the deep integration of technology with sustainable development.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector of VKU and Chair of the Organizing Committee, delivering the opening remarks at DeFi 2025

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector of VKU and Chair of the DeFi 2025 Organizing Committee, emphasized that the digital economy and fintech innovation are no longer experimental trends, but are now directly shaping national competitiveness, the operating models of economic sectors, and people’s access to opportunities in the digital era. Amid the rapid pace of global digital transformation, emerging issues such as Web 3.0, blockchain and smart contracts, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cryptography, big data, and decentralized finance platforms are presenting both opportunities and challenges in terms of policy, technology, and governance.

VKU is proud to be one of Vietnam’s leading universities in the fields of digital technology and the digital economy, consistently pursuing international standards with a clear vision to enhance its global academic impact and advance toward international university rankings. Over the years, VKU has built strong capacity in organizing international academic events, particularly through initiating and continuously leading the CITA conference series for 15 consecutive years, leaving a lasting imprint on the international research community.

Prof. Kwak Jae Sung, ODA Project Management Consultant Director (KOICA), Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), President of the Korea Association for International Development and Cooperation (KAIDEC), and Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee, delivering congratulatory remarks at DeFi 2025

Representing KOICA and KAIDEC, Prof. Kwak Jae Sung, Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee, congratulated DeFi 2025 as a key academic forum that connects knowledge and nurtures talent in the era of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and fintech. Witnessing the strong growth of VKU through the KOICA–VKU cooperation project, he expressed his great pride in the creativity and capabilities of VKU students, and affirmed his confidence that the University is steadily progressing toward becoming a leading digital university in the region. DeFi 2025 stands as vivid evidence of development cooperation driven by innovation, and he expressed his hope that the conference would deliver breakthrough solutions, contributing to the creation of a connected and sustainable digital future.

DeFi 2025 attracted strong interest from the international academic community, receiving nearly 100 scientific paper submissions from authors representing 11 countries and territories, including Russia, the Republic of Korea, India, Thailand, Australia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Cambodia, Malta, and Vietnam. All submissions underwent a rigorous peer-review process involving two to five independent reviewers who are reputable scholars in the fields of the digital economy and fintech. As a result, 33 papers were selected for oral presentation at the conference and published in Volume 1 on the IEEE Xplore system, while 29 papers were presented in poster sessions and published in Volume 2 of the conference proceedings with an ISBN, issued by the Information and Communications Publishing House. The academic content of DeFi 2025 was structured around three main thematic tracks: Policies for Digital Transformation, Digital Economy and Industry 4.0, and Technical Advances in Finance, offering a comprehensive perspective from policy and technology to practical applications. The conference brought together 197 authors, scientists, and experts from Vietnam and abroad, creating a multi-dimensional academic exchange environment that connected interdisciplinary approaches and opened opportunities for young researchers, doctoral candidates, and students to engage with international academic standards, expand collaboration, and enhance research capacity. The success of the conference was strongly supported by the companionship, co-sponsorship, and sponsorship of prestigious international organizations and enterprises, including the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Korea Association for International Development and Cooperation (KAIDEC), Hanwha Life Group, and the ChorogUsan Foundation (Republic of Korea).

Prof. Herwig Unger, University of Hagen (Germany) – Keynote Speaker 1, presenting “Think global, Act local: An alternative approach to social networking”

Dr. Sangwon Ko – Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Information Society Development Institute; Vice Chair of Study Group 1, ITU Development Sector (United Nations); Executive Board Member of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (Keynote Speaker 2), presenting “Digital Economy at a Crossroads”

Notably, at the plenary session, DeFi 2025 was honored to feature two keynote speeches delivered by internationally renowned scholars. Prof. Herwig Unger from the University of Hagen (Germany) presented the keynote “Think global, Act local: An alternative approach to social networking,” offering a fresh perspective on social networking models in the context of global digitalization. Meanwhile, Dr. Sangwon Ko, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Information Society Development Institute, Vice Chair of Study Group 1, Development Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (United Nations), and Executive Board Member of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, delivered the keynote “Digital Economy at a Crossroads,” analyzing strategic turning points of the digital economy and their policy implications in the current transformation period.

The Organizing Committee presenting souvenirs to experts and scientists

DeFi is an international scientific conference oriented toward annual organization, with the aim of gradually building a reputable academic brand within the domestic and international research communities in the fields of the digital economy and fintech innovation. The conference serves as an in-depth academic forum where scientists, experts, policymakers, and business representatives exchange and discuss research findings, technology trends, as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT) into the digital economy and the modern financial ecosystem. These topics are of particular importance to Vietnam in general and Da Nang City in particular, in the current context where the Party and the State are strongly promoting digital transformation, the development of e-commerce and digital assets, and positioning science and technology as key drivers of national development.

With thorough preparation in academic content, professional organization, and strong support from domestic and international partners, DeFi 2025 is expected to leave a clear academic imprint, affirming VKU’s pioneering role in connecting knowledge, technology, and policy toward a transparent, inclusive, and sustainable digital economy.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

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