On the morning of November 2, 2024, National Economics University (NEU) held its 2024 Stakeholder Conference to assess the role and importance of cooperation in education between higher education institutions and organizations and businesses.

An overview of the conference

Representing NEU at the conference were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, Vice President; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President; Dr. Nguyen Huu Dong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the University Trade Union; and representatives of the leadership of its schools, departments, faculties, institutes, centers, and sociopolitical organizations. Also attending were leadership representatives of businesses and organizations, as well as individuals from Vietnam and abroad, who have accompanied and supported NEU over the years.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, Vice President of NEU, delivers remarks

Speaking at the conference, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, Vice President of NEU, said that throughout its nearly 70 years of development, NEU has always been a trusted destination that nurtures learners’ passions and encourages their creative ideas. The University provides the fullest possible support for learners to realize their potential and establish themselves in domestic and international communities. It has also affirmed its position as a leading university, supplying businesses and sociopolitical organizations with capable managers, experts, and scientists in economics, management, business administration, and information technology applications, contributing to the country’s continued development.

Assoc. Prof. Bui Huy Nhuong, Vice President of NEU, affirmed that close connections among businesses, sociopolitical organizations, and educational institutions create breakthroughs in innovative teaching content. These connections help improve the effectiveness of practice-oriented education and align it with the needs of businesses and organizations in particular and the labor market in general. Businesses demonstrate their responsibility for developing their own workforce by commissioning training, participating extensively in its delivery, and providing input to adapt teaching content to practical work requirements. The participation of businesses and organizations in the educational process is essential, giving students and learners opportunities to understand labor market requirements, acquire necessary knowledge, and proactively enter the world of work.

“In its development strategy through 2030, NEU has affirmed its goal of becoming a fully autonomous university that pioneers digital transformation and has a modern, smart, and professional governance system meeting international accreditation standards. With the establishment of three member schools and the adoption of a new governance approach, it aims to become National Economics University under the new university model by the end of this year. Guided by its commitment to being a center that attracts, educates, and nurtures talent, and the first choice for outstanding students with ambitions and dreams, the University has always identified cooperation with organizations, businesses, and sociopolitical organizations in Vietnam and abroad as both a goal and a driving force for its long-term, sustainable development,” emphasized Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong.

Phan Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pro Sports Group, delivers remarks

Phan Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pro Sports Group, spoke on behalf of organizations and individuals actively cooperating with the University, stressing the importance of enabling graduates to enter the labor market with the ability to handle real-world work. The question is how to enable students to study while gaining hands-on experience, avoid situations in which students visit businesses merely as a formality, and ensure that they have genuine motivation and a desire to advance during their brief internships. Many students arrive at businesses with strong aspirations and a desire to develop, but quickly become disengaged. “We must ignite something very important in them: determination. Where there is determination, there is a way. In what teachers share with students, alongside new knowledge—English and information technology—there is a core element: determination and a desire to win.”

Phan Minh Chinh also affirmed his commitment to effective cooperation between the two sides in the spirit of connecting classroom theory with practical knowledge at businesses. Accordingly, NEU students can undertake observational placements and internships at the two manufacturing plants in Giao Yen and Giao Thuy, Nam Dinh, belonging to Pro Sports Co., Ltd. There, they can not only listen to introductory presentations but also tour the plants and learn more about production lines, as well as the requirements concerning product quality, factories, and employees’ living conditions that the company must comply with to trade with international partners.

Nguyen Duc Minh, Vice President of the NEU Student Association, delivers remarks

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Duc Minh, Vice President of the NEU Student Association and a student in the POHE Market Management class, said that throughout their studies and development, students have had opportunities to participate in many valuable educational and extracurricular activities. The University has enabled students to contribute their opinions through dialogue conferences and feedback on academic programs, courses, and University rules and regulations. These activities not only help students develop soft skills but also allow them to express their views to the University. “In particular, the University has continually worked to organize numerous practical activities closely connected to the job market, such as field experiences, observational placements, and internships. These opportunities have given us valuable practical experience and helped us better prepare for our future careers,” said student Nguyen Duc Minh.

As part of the conference, the seminar “Strengthening Practice-Oriented Education and International Integration” provided a forum for delegates to exchange views and discuss topics including: continuing to strengthen practice-oriented education to enable graduates to handle real-world work when entering the labor market; securing more substantive business participation in the University’s educational process; equipping students with additional technology skills to adapt to the increasingly demanding labor market in the digital era; and developing programs to promote domestic and international student exchanges, giving students opportunities to experience learning in different environments…

Dr. Le Anh Duc, Head of the Department of Academic Affairs at NEU, delivers remarks

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, Vice President of NEU, and Phan Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pro Sports Group, moderate the seminar discussion session

Addressing the views of many recruiting businesses and organizations that “the University needs to continue strengthening practice-oriented education to give learners more opportunities for real-world experience and practice, and to apply what they have learned to solving case studies, thereby enhancing their readiness for real-world work,” the University introduced the 4-credit course “Practical Topics” in the 2023-2024 academic year into all full-time undergraduate programs, applicable from Cohort 66 (admitted in 2024), to increase the practical component of education. The University continues to maintain and increase resources and delegate authority to faculties and institutes to organize field visits and experiential trips for students at least once a year. It is building an extensive network of connections with the business community and organizations engaged in practice through regular and annual activities such as Internship Day and student job fairs…

In response to numerous comments that “the University needs to equip students with additional essential basic knowledge and skills to adapt to the requirements of the digital economy and digital society,” in the 2023-2024 academic year, the University introduced the three-credit course “Basic Data Science in Economics & Business” into all full-time undergraduate academic programs, applicable from Cohort 66 (admitted in 2024), with content tailored to students in each group of disciplines. The University has also studied and integrated various software applications into teaching and learning, providing accounts to lecturers and students: enterprise-wide management software (Company Management); accounting solution software (AccountingSuite); the Enterprise technology platform… In addition, it has invested tens of billions of VND in purchasing approximately 20 software applications to support teaching, learning, and scientific research. In particular, it has developed curricula and organized short courses on data science and artificial intelligence applications for students, with participation from major companies such as VNPT AI: “Basic Data Science and AI”; “Business Data Analysis”; “Business Data Reporting and Visualization”… These courses have attracted hundreds of students in economics, business, and finance.

Some international experts commented that “the University needs to integrate more international elements into the graduation requirements and intended learning outcomes of its programs, and facilitate student participation in domestic and overseas exchange programs.” In the 2023-2024 academic year, the University began focusing on raising entry standards by attracting students with outstanding abilities (among the top 10% nationwide) and prioritizing students with English skills meeting international standards (in 2024, 70% of students had IELTS certificates with scores of at least 5.5 and entrance scores of at least 26). The University’s foreign language graduation requirements stipulate that students must achieve a score of 5.5 for standard Vietnamese-taught programs, and 6.0 and 6.5 for Advanced, High-Quality, and POHE programs and English-taught academic programs. The University has developed and provided second foreign language courses to give students additional advantages and set them apart. Initially, courses have been offered in three languages: Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, attracting hundreds of students. Notably, the University has focused on integrating international professional certifications into certain academic programs and promoting domestic and overseas student exchanges with partner universities (domestically: University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City; University of Economics – The University of Danang; internationally: partner universities in the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom…).

Many foreign lecturers commented that “the University needs to promote modern teaching and learning methods to increase lecturer-student and student-student interaction, helping students become more proactive in learning and personal development. This will improve educational quality and create a distinctive identity befitting the University’s standing as a leading pioneering university in Vietnam.” In response, during the 2023-2024 academic year, the University implemented the Lecture – Seminar teaching and learning model and has continued to gradually extend it to courses within its academic programs. It has also invested in developing and putting into use a system of smart classrooms, developing digital learning materials, and purchasing E-book versions of English-language textbooks for all courses in its academic programs.

In addition, many parents commented that “alongside classroom learning, the University needs to focus on organizing a diverse range of physical activities for students to develop good physical and mental health.” Acting directly on this feedback, the University began renewing the delivery of national defense and security education for full-time undergraduate students in the 2023-2024 academic year and has continued this work by partnering with the country’s best national defense and security education centers to provide approximately one month of residential training (during the first year, after the first semester). This gives students practical experience in a regular military environment, developing discipline and teamwork. Surveys of students following these training sessions show that approximately 95% feel they have become more “mature.” The University has developed and expanded a diverse range of physical education courses, allowing students to choose physical exercise and sports courses suited to their abilities and interests (new courses introduced based on surveys of learners’ needs include soccer, chess, swimming, tennis, dancesport, and badminton…). It has also organized professionally run sports tournaments for students: NEU League, the only soccer league among universities; a basketball tournament…

Delegates exchange views and contribute ideas during the discussion session

The Business Community Conference was held to review cooperation between NEU and government agencies, individuals, organizations, and businesses. It also provided an opportunity for the University’s faculty and staff to meet and express their sincere thanks and deep appreciation to the individuals, organizations, and businesses that have devoted substantial effort and dedication to the noble cause of education, working alongside NEU to help provide high-quality human resources and build a prosperous and happy country.

At the event, University leaders and representatives of the leadership of its units presented commemorative plaques to delegates representing businesses as an expression of sincere thanks and deep appreciation from NEU’s faculty and staff.

University leaders and representatives of the leadership of its units present commemorative plaques and flowers to organizations and businesses as a token of appreciation

MSc. Bui Duc Dung, Head of the Department of General Affairs, serves as master of ceremonies at the conference

Delegates pose for a commemorative photo at the conference

Selected outstanding cultural performances at the conference

Article and photos: Department of Communications

News agencies and media outlets reporting on the event:

Nhan Dan Television

Nhan Dan: Enabling Graduates to Be Ready for “Real-World Work” When Entering the Labor Market

Lao Dong: Preparing Students for “Real-World Work” upon Graduation

Thanh Nien: NEU Adds Many New Curriculum Components

Tien Phong: Educating Students to Be Ready for ‘Real-World Work’

Dai Bieu Nhan Dan: NEU Develops High-Quality Human Resources with Real-World Capabilities

Vietnam News Agency: Preparing Graduates for “Real-World Work” When Entering the Labor Market

Communist Party of Vietnam: NEU Links Education with Practical Needs and the Labor Market in an Era of Extensive Integration

Vietnamnet: 70% of Students Admitted to NEU Have IELTS Scores of 5.5 or Higher

VTC News: Educating Students to Be Ready for ‘Real-World Work’ in the Labor Market

Giao Duc & Thoi Dai: Cooperation with Businesses Is Both a Goal and a Driver of Sustainable Development

Nha Bao & Cong Luan: Should Students Begin Internships as Early as Their Second Academic Year?

Tuoi Tre Thu Do: Business Community Conference Connects Education with Practice

Quan Doi Nhan Dan: NEU Advances Cooperation and Innovation in Education

Cong An Nhan Dan: Why Are Graduates Poorly Prepared for “Real-World Work”?

Nguoi Lao Dong: Students Become Ready for “Real-World Work” through Deep Business Involvement in Education

Dan Viet: Revealing the Top Two Fields Currently Considered the Highest-Paying and Four Things Students Need to Prepare

Hai Quan: “Real-World Practice” in Training Human Resources for International Integration

Tai Chinh Doanh Nghiep: Ensuring Graduates Are Ready for “Real-World Work” When Entering the Labor Market

Cong Thuong: NEU: Updating Many Curriculum Components to Reflect Real-World Practice

Nguoi Dua Tin: Solutions Needed to Educate a Generation of Students with Both Knowledge and Real-World Capabilities

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.