On the afternoon of March 8, 2024, the Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), Danang University, held a reception and working session to welcome the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to exchange experiences in implementing Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects.

Overview of the working session

In attendance, there were Ms. Hayashi Nobue, Deputy Director of JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, the University’s President, units’ leaders from both sides, and a representative from Nix Education.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap warmly welcomed the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA

During the working session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap expressed his joy to be able to welcome and have a working meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). VKU is a public university under Danang University, established in 2020. Up to now, VKU has nearly 6,000 students enrolled in various fields such as information technology, communication and digital economics. The enrollment results have been consistently maintained at 1,500 slots, with an average admission score of 24 points for 15 majors/specializations.

In addition, VKU is the only university in the Central Highlands region with significant support and investment from both the Vietnamese and South Korean governments. Through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), VKU has received substantial support in terms of infrastructure, facilities, and synchronized investment, along with advanced training programs from South Korea and a high-quality faculty trained systematically from advanced countries worldwide.

In recent years, despite facing certain challenges, VKU has shown significant attention to community and social programs. A notable example includes the school’s discounted tuition fees, ranging from 5.5 million to 6.8 million VND per semester (over 3 years). The university also provides support for dormitory fees, around 200,000 VND per student per month, and various scholarship programs to encourage and assist students in their studies.

VKU regularly organizes events such as the Olympic Informatics in the Central – Central Highlands, connecting thousands of students from 63 provinces and cities nationwide in order to discover and nurture technology talents for the country in general and the Central Highlands region in particular. The university also hosts the Start-up Idea Incubation Competition, offering students the opportunity to develop their innovative ideas and creations. Additionally, there is a scholarship program that supports high school students in the Central Highlands region.

Throughout the developmental journey of VKU, besides support from the Vietnamese government, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Information and Communication, and Danang University, VKU has also received attention and assistance from the South Korean government and KOICA. This includes significant sponsorship for official development assistance projects, with 16.2 million USD allocated during the 2006-2020 period and ongoing implementation of said projects for the 2022-2027 period, amounting to 7.7 million USD.

In addition to the investment projects mentioned earlier, VKU has recently hosted numerous delegations from South Korea for visits and collaboration. This includes nearly 10 high-level delegations, 20 universities, 40 conglomerates and enterprises, 300 student visits for cultural exchange, and 30 volunteers and experts who came to work at VKU. VKU, in return, has sent 60 staff members to participate in short-term training courses and 20 doctoral candidates for training in South Korea.

Thanks to the investment, support, and assistance from both the Vietnamese and South Korean governments, along with the guidance from Danang University and the tremendous efforts of the entire faculty, staff, and students of VKU, the university has achieved noteworthy results. It has become a leading institution in the Central Highlands region in various aspects, including attracting enrollments, training quality, faculty, infrastructure, international cooperation, and collaboration with enterprises. This success reflects the university’s aspiration to rise continuously, pursuing the educational philosophy of ” Humanity – Service – Liberalization ” and the core values of ” Prestige – Quality – Professionalism” held by the leadership, faculty, staff, and students of the university.

Ms. Hayashi Nobue, Deputy Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), shared her thoughts during the working session

On behalf of the working delegation, Ms. Hayashi Nobue, Deputy Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), expressed her gratitude for the warm and thoughtful reception provided by VKU. She acknowledged and highly praised the achievements that VKU has made in recent years. Ms. Hayashi Nobue joyfully shared that these valuable experiences would contribute to JICA’s innovative perspective in implementing official development assistance projects and investing in new facilities for the Vietnam-Japan University during the 2024-2030 phase in Hoa Lac, Hanoi.

Through the exchange and discussions, representatives from both sides gathered additional insights into the successful implementation of official development assistance projects, laying the foundation for future collaborations. To close the working session, VKU expressed hope and anticipation for continued interest and support from JICA, especially in introducing more Japanese businesses interested in collaborating with VKU to enhance Japanese language training and recruit high-quality human resources.

Center for Learning Resources and Communication

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