President of Van Lang University: 30 Years of Van Lang University’s Commitment to the Mission of Nurturing Free, Intelligent, and Compassionate Individuals

On November 22, 2025, at the Ceremony celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Van Lang University and the Conferment of the Second-Class Labor Medal, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu - Member of the University Council and President of Van Lang University - delivered an important report, sharing the University’s journey in shaping the future for learners. She emphasized that, over the past 30 years, Van Lang University has firmly pursued the development of an innovative and human-centered university model, creating positive transformations and spreading sustainable values to the community.

Distinguished Guests,

Dr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Standing Vice Minister, Ministry of Education and Training

Comrade Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee

Prof. Dr. Phung Xuan Nha, Former Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, Former Minister of Education and Training

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, Acting Director of Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City

Ms. Bui Thi Van Anh, Party Committee Secretary and Chairwoman of the Board of Administrators of Van Lang University

Leaders of ministries, departments, agencies, and local authorities

Distinguished presidents and vice presidents of domestic and international universities, principals and vice principals of high schools, leaders of enterprises and mass organizations

Esteemed professors, scholars, scientists, lecturers, staff, and students of Van Lang University

First of all, on behalf of the University’s leadership, I would like to respectfully extend my warmest welcome and best wishes for good health to all distinguished leaders, delegates, faculty members, and students attending today’s Ceremony celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Van Lang University and the conferment of the Second-Class Labor Medal.

Distinguished Delegates,

Over the past three decades, Van Lang University has persistently built an innovative and humanistic university model, generating positive change for learners and spreading values to the community. As an educational institution, we have identified our core mission as training high-quality human resources, disseminating knowledge, and serving society. This journey has been guided by three core values - “Morality - Will - Creativity” - clearly reflected in our mission: “To educate individuals who create positive impact and inspire society.” This has been Van Lang University’s unwavering commitment for 30 years: not only ensuring academic quality, but also providing learners with a holistic experiential environment where each individual can develop competencies, character, and life values.

Throughout our three-decade journey, Van Lang University has welcomed more than 156,000 enrolled students, with the current scale of education more than ten times that of the University’s founding year. From just 11 undergraduate programs in 1995, the University has gradually developed into a system offering 62 undergraduate and 21 postgraduate programs, with over 120 training programs designed to meet the increasingly diverse needs of learners. These include standard programs, Honors programs, articulation and transfer programs with universities such as the University of Sydney, Angelo State University, the University of Waikato, Inha University, and Ming Chuan University; unified bachelor-master programs with AIT and the University of Perpignan; as well as franchise programs granting degrees from international universities such as the University of Newcastle (UON), Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Edge Hill University, and the University of Hawaiʻi, delivered at Van Lang University.

Currently, 82% of Van Lang University’s undergraduate programs have been accredited domestically and internationally. This achievement is not the result of short-term efforts, but of a persistent process of curriculum review and improvement, faculty development, and continuous quality enhancement-quiet yet decisive efforts that underpin the University’s academic reputation. Thanks to these steady steps, VLU’s students can access an internationally oriented learning environment right in Vietnam, while building a solid foundation to participate in exchange programs, transfer pathways, or overseas studies. This is one of the ways the University expands access to high-quality education for domestic learners and enhances their international integration capacity.

Distinguished Delegates,

With Van Lang University’s educational philosophy - “Through experiential learning, to educate well-rounded individuals capable of lifelong learning, with ethics, influence, and the ability to create positive change for the community” - learning at VLU is a journey of self-discovery for young people. We therefore build a learning environment that empowers learners: self-study on digital platforms, academic debate in classrooms, and hands-on engagement with knowledge in laboratories and workshops. Currently, Van Lang University has 177 laboratories, practice rooms, and simulation facilities - each a “space for experience” where students can experiment, create, make mistakes, and try again. There, students not only understand lessons better, but also understand themselves more deeply. Learning experiences at Van Lang University extend far beyond campus boundaries.

Thanks to a network of more than 1,300 partners - including enterprises, hospitals, research centers, and over 1,000 alumni-owned companies - students enter real professional environments very early: some undertake internships at major corporations in their first year; others participate in real business projects as part of coursework; many intern at hospitals, medical centers, and laboratories. All students confront “real-world problems” of society, making knowledge come alive and helping them recognize the true meaning of their pursuits. Over the past two years, Van Lang University’s students have proactively equipped themselves with new-era digital skills, earning more than 4,500 certificates from nearly 400 Coursera courses (including 68 AI-related courses) and over 2,000 certificates from Google programs. These figures demonstrate their proactive pursuit of knowledge - the spirit nurtured within the Van Lang University’s student community.

With the goal of building an international-standard learning environment, alongside improving training quality, scientific research, and learner experience, we continue to expand our global partner network, creating opportunities for faculty and students to engage in academic and cultural exchange worldwide. From initially cooperating with only a few universities such as Wageningen University (Netherlands), the University of Perpignan (France), and Carnegie Mellon University (USA), VLU has, especially in the past five years, expanded our network to over 300 international universities, institutes, and enterprises. We have welcomed more than 6,000 international students from over 30 countries, which is why QS ranked Van Lang University 129th in Asia for the total number of international exchange students. At the same time, over 1,200 VLU’s students have studied and participated in exchanges at partner institutions abroad.

Van Lang University’s training programs are diverse, including 10 degree-granting programs delivered by international partners, 20 articulation programs, 9 of VLU’s programs ready to attract international students to study and earn Van Lang University degrees, and 16 programs open for one-semester exchanges at VLU. Achieving these results has been a continuous journey of learning, improvement, and refinement by Van Lang University’s faculty; a collaborative process of co-developing and implementing curricula with partner universities; and the invaluable support of domestic and international scholars (including professors who have traveled from halfway across the globe to share their knowledge with our students, we will never forget lectures by Nobel Laureate Prof. Barré-Sinoussi; the sharing of Stanford professors during the city’s post-COVID reopening; the pioneering lectures on industrial ecology, cleaner production, and sustainable development by Prof. Arthur Mol and Prof. Wim Rulkens from Wageningen University; the experimental models taught to our K1M students by Dr. Joost van Buuren and Dr. Kris van Koppen; or the inspiring contributions of leading semiconductor experts such as Prof. Sorin, Ms. Bich Yen Nguyen, and Prof. Aaron Thean from NUS.

We also remember the profound insights shared at conferences commemorating 300 years of Adam Smith and Immanuel Kant by Prof. Vu Minh Khuong, Prof. Tran Van Tho, Prof. Nguyen Minh Tho, and Dr. Nguyen Xuan Xanh. VLU’s students greatly cherish lectures by Prof. Don Marinelli, Prof. Visvanathan, and countless other distinguished educators who have brought exceptional knowledge to our learners.) This journey has also been supported by enterprises, hospitals, and medical centers enabling real-world experiences; by local communities welcoming students to explore culture, arts, and social life; and by the spirit of service embodied by Van Lang University’s students.

From this international partnership network, many scientific research projects and practical initiatives addressing Vietnam’s and the region’s challenges have been jointly conducted by VLU’s faculty and global scientific communities. This is why Van Lang University was ranked 221st in Asia for international research collaboration networks according to QS rankings announced on November 4, 2025. Since our founding, we have received funding from organizations such as SIDA, the EU, USAID, NWO, World Wide Fund, DAAD, JICA, the British Council, AUF, and UN Women to implement 42 research projects addressing national and regional issues. Over the past 30 years, numerous consecutive projects have sought technological and management solutions to address environmental issues. Notable recent projects include a USAID-funded initiative on dioxin remediation in soil and sediment at Bien Hoa Airport (in collaboration with AIT); an NWO-funded project with Wageningen University on alternative freshwater solutions in salinity-affected areas due to climate change; British Council-funded research on IoT-enabled vertical gardens with Middlesex University; and numerous AUF-supported educational research projects.

Van Lang University persistently cultivates an academic environment that inspires a passion for research, creativity, and entrepreneurship within the Van Lang community - starting with our faculty and scientists. While results have not yet fully met expectations, the growth trajectory reflects relentless effort. Special thanks go to former Chairman of the Board of Administrators, Dr. Nguyen Cao Tri, who instilled the spirit of Moonshot Thinking and fostered a “two-handed organization.” Ten years ago, Scopus-indexed publications numbered fewer than 10 per year; today, they exceed 600 annually. Over the past decade, VLU has contributed more than 2,800 international publications in ISI/Scopus journals, over 1,200 domestic publications, garnered more than 29,000 citations, and completed over 160 technology transfer projects. This research environment has produced scientists ranked in the global top 2%, ASEAN Innovation Pioneer Award recipients, Golden Globe Science and Technology Award winners, and over 480 student research awards. In addition, more than 250 student startup ideas/projects have competed, winning over 50 national and international awards, with five projects successfully commercialized and established as enterprises.

Every member of the Van Lang community is imbued with a mission of social service and nurtured in a humanistic spirit. All University activities aim to spread positive impacts to the community. Over three decades, VLU’s faculty and scientists have partnered with city authorities to address environmental challenges and sustainable urban development, circular economy-oriented industrial development, and most recently, machine-learning models for urban flood forecasting in Ho Chi Minh City (developed by COSARI) now in use, as well as “smart plastic shredding” technologies for cleaner, faster recycling, and community awareness programs that have seen Van Lang University's persistent participation over the years. Students, alongside faculty, apply disciplinary knowledge to create tangible community value through projects such as Colors of Dreams, Lighting the Way to School, Books to Villages, Mock Trials, Mobile Dentistry, Compassion Houses, Clean Water for Communities, Tailoring Vocations for the Ta Oi People, For the Blue Seas and Islands, and many others. Parallel to these are over 500 volunteer programs involving more than 38,000 students, benefiting over 27,000 people, providing over 4,000 healthcare services, and mobilizing over VND 100 billion, 2,000 ventilators, and more than 1,000 faculty, staff, and students on the COVID-19 frontlines. These efforts have nurtured humanistic values and contributed to Van Lang University being recognized as one of Asia’s best workplaces in 2025: “Great place to work; Great place to learn; Great place to grow; Great place to serve.”

This spirit extends beyond community support (especially for vulnerable groups, and contributions to the development of the city and the nation) to contributions toward the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Quality Education (SDG 4), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12). Van Lang University is positioned among the world’s top 100-300 universities for these goals according to The Impact Rankings 2025.

These achievements stem from the dedication, responsibility, and relentless innovation of VLU’s leadership, faculty, and staff. In response to new demands-digital transformation, technological application, pedagogical innovation, and the rise of AI-faculty have fully embraced change. One hundred percent of Van Lang University’s lecturers have participated in digital capacity-building programs; over 1,600 have joined Microsoft Innovative Educator training, with 161 certified as Microsoft Innovative Education Experts. As a result, Van Lang University is the only university recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School for the 2025-2026 academic year, and received the Smart Education Initiative Award - Educational Environment of the Year (2025), awarded by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

Van Lang University’s efforts have been recognized by domestic and international accreditation and ranking organizations:

• 2024: FIBAA institutional accreditation with 100% criteria met, 50% exceeding requirements, and 2 outstanding criteria; NEAS (Australia) accreditation for English programs
• QS World University Rankings 2026: ranked 1001-1200 globally, 392nd in academic reputation
• QS Asia University Rankings 2026: ranked 251st in Asia, 199th in academic reputation
• QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Performing Arts ranked 51–100 globally; Art & Design ranked 101-150 globally

Sustainable Development Contributions:

• THE Impact Rankings 2025: ranked 601-800 globally; SDG 4 ranked 201-300; SDGs 6 and 8 ranked 101-200
• QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026: ranked 781st globally and 247th in Asia

Digital Transformation in Education:

• Microsoft Showcase School 2025-2026
• Smart Education Initiative Award - Educational Environment of the Year (2025)

Workplace Environment:

• HR Asia Award: Best Company to Work for in Asia 2025

VLU remains steadfast in our mission to nurture free, intelligent, and compassionate individuals; to build a Vietnamese university of international stature where scientific rigor and humanistic values go hand in hand in serving humanity and creating inspiring positive impact for society.

Sincere thanks to national leaders, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City authorities, local governments, departments, consulates, domestic and international partners, enterprises, hospitals, centers, international organizations, scholars, professors, and lecturers from universities worldwide. Heartfelt gratitude to Van Lang’s leaders across generations, full-time and visiting faculty, alumni, current students, and future companions of the University of Innovation & Impact.
 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu 

Member of the University Council, President of Van Lang University