From September 9 to 11, 2026, a delegation from the National Economics University, led by Prof. Dr. To Trung Thanh – Vice President of the University, visited and held discussions to exchange experiences on communication practices with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), University of Finance and Marketing (UFM), and University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City (UEF). The trip was part of NEU’s key scientific project titled “Developing a Communication Strategy for the National Economics University by 2030, with a Vision to 2040.” This occasion also provided an opportunity for higher education institutions to share practical experiences, organizational models, implementation methods, and new directions in communication, brand building, and image development of the university.

The NEU delegation also included: Dr. Vu Trong Nghia – Head of the Communication Department; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Huyen – Deputy Head of the School of Marketing; Dr. Phan Thi Thanh Hoa – Faculty of Business Administration; Dr. Tran Viet An – Faculty of Marketing.

Enhancing the Sharing of Communication Experiences Among Universities

In his opening remarks at the discussion sessions, Prof. Dr. To Trung Thanh – Vice President of the National Economics University emphasized that in the context of significant changes in higher education, communication has increasingly become an important component in university governance. Communication not only fulfills the task of providing information but is also a crucial activity of each higher education institution, contributing to building the reputation, brand, culture, and status of the University.

Prof. Dr. To Trung Thanh – Vice President of the National Economics University speaking

According to Prof. Dr. To Trung Thanh, each university has its own characteristics, strengths, and approaches in communication activities. Therefore, direct exchanges between units will help parties gain practical insights, identify effective models, and seek ways to meet the development requirements in the new phase.

“The important aspect of the program is not only to share what each university is doing but also to collectively view educational communication from the perspective of strategic university governance, thereby discovering values that can be collaborated on, learned from, and developed together,” emphasized Prof. Dr. To Trung Thanh.

At UEH: Transitioning from Isolated Communication to Strategic Communication

Scene at the Seminar between NEU and UEH

At the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), Dr. Dinh Cong Khai – Vice President of the University, hosted and co-chaired the Seminar, exchanging experiences with NEU. Also in attendance were Dr. Thai Kim Phung – Deputy Head in charge of the Communications and Partnership Development Division; Dr. Le Thi Hanh An – Deputy Head of the Communications and Partnership Development Division; MSc. Le Dong Du – Deputy Chief of Office; along with personnel responsible for communications, office, and partnership development at UEH.

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai – Vice President of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City speaking

In his remarks at the Seminar, Dr. Dinh Cong Khai welcomed the delegation from the National Economics University and emphasized the increasingly important role of communication in the operations of higher education institutions as well as in building and developing the university’s brand. Strengthening connections and exchanging experiences between universities is therefore of practical significance, especially in the context of digital communication significantly transforming the way educational institutions interact with learners and society.

According to Dr. Dinh Cong Khai, communication is increasingly integrated with the development strategy of each university and thus should be placed within the overall governance framework, ensuring coordinated efforts among units and aiming to build a unified, professional image. “An effective university communication system needs to have consistency in strategy, message, and identity, while also being flexible enough to reflect the diversity in academic programs, research, collaboration, and community service activities,” Dr. Dinh Cong Khai emphasized.

Dr. Thai Kim Phung – Deputy Head in charge of the Communications and Partnership Development Division at UEH speaking at the Seminar

Continuing the program, Dr. Thai Kim Phung – Deputy Head in charge of the Communications and Partnership Development Division shared experiences in organizing and operating communication activities, content creation, and partnership development at UEH. Dr. Le Thi Hanh An – Deputy Head of the Communications and Partnership Development Division at UEH further clarified the coordination mechanism and information management among units as well as the role of the Division in implementing the university’s general communication activities.

The delegates attending the Seminar took commemorative photos

Based on the experiences of both universities, the delegates discussed various issues facing communication work in the higher education environment, from the organizational model of communication departments; content and data management; brand building, digital platform communication to reputation management and crisis communication handling. Additionally, the coordination mechanism between units, development of partner networks, and leveraging resources from the alumni community were topics of significant interest.

At UFM: Communication Needs to Create Value and Connect Stakeholders

Scene at the Seminar between NEU and UFM

At the University of Finance and Marketing (UFM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Trung Dao – Vice Rector, welcomed the delegation from the National Economics University and co-chaired the Seminar to exchange and share experiences. Participants included: Dr. Bao Trung – Head of the Marketing Faculty; MSc. Le Viet Quan – Deputy Head of the Communications, Admissions, and Corporate Relations Department; Dr. Ta Van Thanh along with personnel from units responsible for communication, marketing, and corporate relations at the university.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Trung Dao – Vice Rector of the University of Finance and Marketing delivers a speech

Welcoming the delegation from the National Economics University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Trung Dao highly appreciates the significance of enhancing connections and sharing experiences among universities with strengths in economics, management, marketing, and communication.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Trung Dao, communication within a university should not be separate from professional activities but should reflect the core values, achievements, and substantial contributions of the institution to students, businesses, and society. Therefore, communication efforts need to be systematically implemented, consistently aligned with the overall development strategy, thereby contributing to building the university’s brand and spreading its values to the community.

“Effective communication must create a connection between the university and students, alumni, businesses, and society. This is also the foundation for enhancing the university’s recognition, trust, and status,” shared Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Trung Dao.

From the practical experience of UFM, Dr. Le Viet Quan – Deputy Head of the Communication, Admissions, and Corporate Relations Department discussed the relationship between marketing, branding, and communication in higher education, while also sharing experiences in implementing communication efforts linked with admissions, corporate relations, and the university’s public groups.

The delegates attending the Seminar took commemorative photos

Subsequently, NEU and UFM delegates focused on discussing the delineation of functions between communication, marketing, admissions, and corporate relations; the coordination mechanism between units; content development for each public group; as well as data utilization to enhance communication effectiveness.

At UEF: Communication Linked with Branding and Student Experience

Scene at the Seminar between NEU and UEF

During their visit to the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City (UEF), the NEU delegation met with Dr. Phan Bao Giang and Dr. Ngo Minh Hai, two Vice Rectors of the university, along with MSc. Tran Thuy Phuong – Deputy Director of the Center for Promotion of Cooperation and Brand Development and other staff of the center.

Dr. Phan Bao Giang – Vice Rector of the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City (UEF) delivers a speech

Speaking at the Seminar, Dr. Phan Bao Giang welcomed the delegation from the National Economics University to visit and exchange experiences with UEF; he also provided an overview of the university, its development strategy, as well as its approach to promoting cooperation, communication, and brand development.

Dr. Ngo Minh Hai – Vice Rector of the University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City (UEF) delivers a speech

From a university management perspective, Dr. Ngo Minh Hai shared insights on the connection between university development strategy and brand communication. The directions in academic programs, research, student activities, and the values pursued by the University need to be consistently reflected in communication activities, thereby contributing to building the image and reputation of a sustainable university.

Following the insights shared by UEF, the NEU delegation continued to exchange ideas and delve deeper into the practical implementation of communication efforts at the university, focusing on overall communication strategy, organization of communication activities, communication channels system, university brand development, as well as reputation management and crisis handling.

The delegates attending the Seminar took commemorative photos

Sharing principles on brand building and development, Dr. Phan Bao Giang emphasized the importance of establishing core principles and values before implementing communication activities. Accordingly, brand communication should be integrated into the overall development strategy of the university, ensuring consistency between orientation, values, and the method of conveying them to various public groups.

University communication is shifting from a ‘news dissemination’ mindset to a ‘value creation’ mindset

From the discussions in the three Seminar sessions, the delegates agreed that university communication is transitioning from a supporting role to a crucial component of university management and brand development. Increasingly, there are clear demands for professionalism, speed, information verification, data management, digital communication, and crisis management.

Dr. Vu Trong Nghia, Head of the Communication Department at NEU, believes that modern communication is strongly shifting from a ‘news dissemination’ mindset to a ‘value creation’ mindset, where content must contribute to showcasing the university’s expertise, identity, and distinctive values, aiming to promptly capture and meet the needs of society and students.

Dr. Vu Trong Nghia – Head of the Communication Department at NEU speaking at the Seminar

Dr. Vu Trong Nghia asserted that to achieve this, communication needs to be more closely aligned with the university’s strategy planning and execution process, rather than just participating in the information dissemination phase. Only when communication is connected with the university’s orientation and the needs of stakeholders, can the communication content truly be meaningful and create value.

From a marketing perspective, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Huyen – Deputy Head of the Marketing Faculty at NEU, believes that the integration of marketing, branding, and communication in higher education is becoming increasingly clear. According to the Assoc. Prof., building a university brand is not just about making a university known to society, but more importantly, determining what values the university wants to be remembered for and how those values are consistently reflected in the experiences of various public groups.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Huyen – Deputy Head of the Marketing Faculty at NEU speaking at the Seminar

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Huyen emphasized that communication cannot create values that the university does not genuinely possess, but it can determine how those values are seen, understood, and remembered. Therefore, instead of chasing the quantity of content or the level of presence on platforms, universities need to focus on clarifying substantial values and telling meaningful stories about academic programs, research, faculty, students, and contributions to society. In a multi-dimensional communication environment, every staff member, lecturer, student, and alumnus is a touchpoint of the brand. Thus, communication should not be the sole responsibility of a specialized unit but should become part of how the university builds relationships and creates experiences for stakeholders.

The series of seminars and experience exchanges between the National Economics University (NEU) and UEH, UFM, and UEF not only creates a forum for sharing specific practices in communication work but also opens up opportunities to strengthen connections among teams involved in communication, marketing, and university management.

From the exchanges in the program, the parties expect to continue maintaining connections, sharing knowledge, leveraging resources, and promoting coordinated activities in the future; thereby gradually expanding the network of collaboration among universities in the fields of communication, marketing, and brand development, contributing to enhancing communication effectiveness and spreading the positive values of higher education to the community.

Article and photos: Communication Department