On December 10, 2025, National Economics University (NEU) organized a national scientific conference on “20 Years of Distance Education: Establishment and Development.” The conference took place as higher education in Vietnam faces the need for substantial transformation to adapt to the digital economy and expand lifelong learning opportunities for all members of society.

An overview of the conference

Attending the conference were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dam Quang Vinh, Director of the Center for Distance Education; leadership representatives from schools, departments, faculties, institutes, and centers; representatives of socio-political organizations; faculty members; and management staff of the Center for Distance Education.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council of NEU, delivers remarks

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council of NEU, emphasized the conference’s particular significance in the University’s development. Amid rapid digital transformation worldwide, distance education is not only an inevitable trend but also a strategic imperative for expanding learning opportunities and promoting equal access to knowledge.

“Over the past 20 years, the Center for Distance Education has affirmed its pioneering role, making important contributions to the goal of ‘Learning and lifelong learning opportunities for everyone.’ Today’s conference is an opportunity for us to reflect on our journey, share experiences, and look ahead together to new developments in distance education in the next phase,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dam Quang Vinh, Director of the Center for Distance Education, reviews 20 years of distance education activities (2006–2026)

Established in 2006, NEU’s Center for Distance Education is one of the pioneering units in Vietnam to implement E-learning at the university level. Over nearly 20 years of establishment and development, the Center has continuously innovated its organizational methods, standardized learning materials, applied advanced technologies, expanded learner support services, and refined its quality assurance system, helping bring high-quality knowledge in economics and management to a wide range of learners in Vietnam and abroad. To date, the Center has educated or is currently educating more than 15,000 students, and many alumni have become managers and hold leadership positions in organizations and businesses.

In 2025, the Center recorded a high enrollment rate of 94.23%, with 3,753 of the 3,983 admitted students officially enrolling as new students in the distance education academic program. Admission cut-off scores also improved markedly across admissions rounds during the year, demonstrating the program’s growing reputation. The year 2025 also marked an important step forward as the Center for Distance Education completed quality accreditation of its academic program under Circular 39/2020/TT-BGDĐT, affirming the standardization and reliability of the distance education model.

As part of its priorities and key activities for 2026, the Center for Distance Education will implement a project to improve the quality of distance education and expand its activities abroad, with a particular focus on celebrations marking the Center’s 20th anniversary, tentatively planned for April 2026. Under its development strategy for 2026–2030, the Center aims to expand its scale, standardize academic programs, strengthen technology use, and make E-Learning a widely used mode of education, aligned with NEU’s vision and educational philosophy.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hue, Faculty of Law, NEU, presents the paper “Legal Changes in Distance Education During 2005–2025”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Huyen, Faculty of Marketing, NEU, presents the paper “Demand for Education in Martech and Opportunities to Offer Online Martech Academic Programs”

During preparations for the conference, the Organizing Committee received 57 papers, of which 54 were peer-reviewed, revised, and selected for inclusion in the proceedings. The papers reflect a wide range of scholarly perspectives, focusing on topics such as technology trends in online education, innovation in teaching and learning methods, program management, quality assurance models, and recommendations for the next phase of development. These results demonstrate the academic community’s broad interest in open education and distance education amid digital transformation.

The conference also held special significance as it took place in the lead-up to NEU’s 70th anniversary (1956–2026). It offered an opportunity for the University to reflect on the important contributions of distance education—a strategic pillar in its plans to develop a digital university.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council, and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President, present flowers to thank the speakers

The conference was not only an academic forum but also an opportunity to build connections, exchange experiences, and propose solutions to further improve the quality of distance education, helping NEU become a pioneering educational institution in the region through innovation, technology integration, and the expansion of knowledge.

It is hoped that the research findings presented at the conference will be put into practice, making tangible contributions to refining and developing the distance education model in Vietnam. This also provides motivation for the Center for Distance Education to continue innovating and affirming its pioneering role in NEU’s digital education strategy.

Additional photos from the conference:

Article and photos: Department of Communications

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