A 35-year imprint of accompanying Vietnam-EU cooperation

UEH ranks among Vietnamese universities with practical contributions to Vietnam–EU relations.

Laying the first bricks for Vietnam–EU educational cooperation

Since the early 2000s, as Vietnam opened its doors strongly and intensified its international integration, UEH identified international education as a key pillar to enhance training quality and connect Vietnamese knowledge with the global academic community. UEH’s participation in the Erasmus Mundus Project from the 2007–2008 academic year clearly demonstrated this commitment. The project brought together eight European universities and eleven Asian universities, creating an intercontinental academic exchange ecosystem.

Within this framework, in 2009, UEH sent 15 lecturers and two students to undertake internships and studies at leading European universities. At the same time, UEH welcomed eight master’s students and doctoral candidates from EU countries for in-depth analysis and research on Vietnam’s economy. Beyond academic exchange, these activities helped lay a foundation of long-term trust in Vietnam–EU diplomatic relations.

Also in 2009, through the TRIG Project, UEH continued to send three lecturers for doctoral training, three lecturers for master’s programs, and 14 academic and administrative staff for internships in Europe, the United States, and Oceania. This systematic investment in human resources has shaped a faculty with international qualifications, enhancing training quality and reinforcing UEH’s role within Vietnam’s higher education ecosystem.

Associate Professor Dr Trinh Tu Anh, Director of the Institute of Smart Cities and Management, served as the moderator for the thematic discussion session "Space Technology and Artificial Intelligence: How to Become Strategic Tools for Sustainable Development in Vietnam?" at the Vietnam-EU Cooperation Forum "Expanding Digital Investment".

Key cooperation projects elevating the Vietnam–EU relations

In the current phase of deepening cooperation, UEH continues to lead the implementation of major projects funded by the EU and its member states.

One of the most influential initiatives is the Erasmus+ project “Enhancing the Capacity of Educational Institutions through Cooperation with Businesses” (2017–2020), funded by the European Commission with nine partners, including five European universities. The program enabled UEH to access education models closely aligned with market demands. This not only improved student learning outcomes but also contributed to the harmonisation of higher education systems between Vietnam and the EU.

Notably, UEH plays a key role in the Erasmus+ DIGITAL MOVE project, an international initiative aimed at narrowing the digital divide between Vietnam and Mongolia, with the goal of promoting comprehensive digital transformation in higher education institutions. In October 2025, a UEH delegation led by Assoc. Prof. Dr Bui Quang Hung, UEH Interim President, attended the project’s final review meeting in Slovakia to assess progress, conduct quality control, and discuss the roadmap for finalising digital products. Simultaneously, within the framework of the same mission, UEH also participated in the Ulysseus R&I Conference organised by the Ulysseus Alliance, comprising leading European universities such as the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), the University of Seville (Spain), Université Côte d’Azur (France), the University of Genoa (Italy), the University of Münster (Germany)... At the conference, UEH engaged with researchers, lecturers, experts, and enterprises from many countries to discuss emerging trends, including digital transformation in education and research, sustainable innovation, and global university cooperation networks.

Another significant milestone is the EU4 Sustainability Project, the first UEH project under the Jean Monnet Actions framework funded by the European Union through UEH’s Erasmus program. The project aims to address knowledge gaps among students in European studies while fostering greater interest in EU economic and policy trends, particularly in areas such as the green economy, sustainable development, and the circular economy. The successful implementation of this project has affirmed that UEH is not only a recipient of knowledge but also an active disseminator of global knowledge, contributing to research, education, and policy-making in Vietnam.

In parallel, UEH continues to maintain active exchange programs for lecturers, administrators, and students with partner universities in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and other European countries, thereby forming a multi-dimensional educational cooperation network that makes an essential contribution to strengthening the academic relationship between Vietnam and the European Union.

Dấu ấn 35 năm đồng hành cùng tiến trình hợp tác Việt Nam – EU

UEH – A strong academic standing, further elevating Vietnam–EU cooperation

Beyond its pioneering role in international cooperation, UEH has also consolidated its position on the regional and global academic map. In the 2025–2026 period, UEH has recorded a series of remarkable achievements, including: ranking among the Top 136 universities in Asia (THE 2025), Top 501+ universities worldwide (THE 2026), Top 318 in Asia (QS 2026), Top 301+ universities worldwide for contributions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (THE Impact 2025), and Top 650 universities globally for sustainability (QS Sustainability 2026).

These rankings clearly reflect UEH’s strong academic capacity, its increasingly recognised research strength, and the pioneering role in key fields such as economics, management, smart cities, innovation, and sustainable development. This has helped UEH become a trusted partner for numerous European and global universities in training programs, interdisciplinary research, and policy consultancy.

A noteworthy example is in 2025, the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM) under UEH participated in the Vietnam–EU Cooperation Forum on “Expanding Digital Investment” held in Ho Chi Minh City. As the coordinator of a thematic discussion session, UEH’s representative made essential contributions to advancing digital technology connectivity between Vietnam and the EU, reaffirming UEH’s academic capacity closely linked with practical application - one of the core strengths that makes UEH a trusted bridge between the two regions.

Thirty-five years of Vietnam–EU relations represent a journey of trust, sharing, and moving towards the values of sustainable development. Along this journey, UEH takes pride in being one of the higher education institutions that have made persistent and substantive contributions to bilateral cooperation-from human resource training, knowledge exchange, the promotion of research to the participation in strategic policy forums - thereby helping to deepen Vietnam-EU relations while affirming the position of Vietnamese higher education in the region and the world.

As Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung, UEH Interim President, emphasized: “With a foundation of cooperation built over many decades, together with an increasingly solid position within the regional and global education systems, UEH will continue to be a trusted academic partner, a knowledge hub making meaningful contributions to the Vietnam–EU cooperation in the new phase, for peace, development, and shared prosperity.”

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