Internationalization Highlights at HUTECH from June to August 2026: Learning, Connecting, and Creating Impact Across Borders

 

From June to August 2026, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) brought international learning into classrooms, research spaces, cultural programs, and communities. Students worked with peers from around the world on sustainability challenges, experienced new cultures on campus, and joined academic and volunteer programs abroad. At the same time, visits by international partners and new cooperation agreements created opportunities for future exchanges, research, and career development.

A summer campus connected to the world

One of the summer’s highlights was HUTECH Global Camp 2026, themed “Through Our Eyes: Saigon and Sustainability.” The program brought HUTECH students together with participants from six international institutions: EPF Engineering School (France), UCSI University (Malaysia), GSFC University and CGC University (India), National Taiwan University of Sport (Taiwan, China), and Woosong University (South Korea). Through academic and experiential activities, students explored Ho Chi Minh City from different perspectives while considering their responsibilities toward communities and the environment.
The Vietnam Summer Program 2026, organized by the HUTECH Institute of International Education, offered another setting for international friendships. Students from Dania Academy (Denmark), Humber Polytechnic (Canada), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and SEA joined HUTECH students for academic exchange and experiences of Vietnamese culture. Its welcome event, “Hej Vietnam – Let’s Summer Together,” set the tone for a program built around learning from one another.  

Students also created opportunities for cultural discovery themselves. At Food Stories, an international food festival held on July 18, more than 300 visitors explored 30 signature dishes and 15 traditional beverages representing 15 countries. From Vietnamese Ram Bắp and Mỳ Hến to Hungarian Goulash, Russian Pelmeni, Indian Pani Puri, and Cuban Ropa Vieja, the food invited conversations about ingredients, traditions, and the people behind each recipe. Indian Henna art, traditional costumes, and folk games added to the experience, while interactions with international students and diplomatic representatives brought different cultures together in one shared space.

Food Stories was also a practical learning project. Developed as part of the Organization Development and Community Relations course, the festival was planned and managed by 42 Public Relations students. They shaped the concept, contacted diplomatic missions and other partners, secured support, designed the venue, and coordinated the event. What began as a classroom assignment became an opportunity to practise communication, event planning, and cross-cultural collaboration in a real-world setting.
 

On July 29, students of the Vietnam-Japan Institute of Technology (VJIT) explored Japanese popular culture through a program jointly organized with the Japan Asia Medical, Welfare and Education Institute (JAMWEI). Three members of the Japanese idol group wqwq performed J-Pop and spoke with students about their training, work, and daily lives. Students asked questions in Japanese and English, putting their language skills to use in direct conversation. JAMWEI also presented scholarships to VJIT students in recognition of their academic achievements and aspirations to pursue opportunities in Japan.
 
Cultural exchange continued at the Vietnam–Korea Cultural Exchange Day 2026, where HUTECH students and 14 students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies took part in traditional games, group challenges, and shared activities. Each encounter gave students a chance to move beyond what they had learned about another country and build connections with the people in front of them.
 
Taking learning and community engagement beyond Vietnam

HUTECH students also represented the University in international programs across the region. Ly Vu Nhu Ngoc, a Digital Marketing student at the Vietnam–Korea Institute of Technology, was one of three students selected to represent Vietnam at the SDGs Global Camp 2026 in Thailand. As part of the ASEAN University Network Summer Camp, she joined students from other countries in academic discussions and team projects addressing sustainable development challenges.
At the ASEAN Student Experiential Mobility Programme hosted by Universiti Utara Malaysia, four HUTECH students explored AI, innovation, leadership, and sustainability with participants from across the region. Online learning was followed by activities in Malaysia, where multinational teams developed and presented ideas during the ASEAN Future Challenge. At the semifinal presentation, Ho Phan Truc Anh’s team earned 2nd Top-Tier in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Track, while the team of Luong Linh Dan and Tran Thi Thuy Tien earned 2nd Top-Tier in the Artificial Intelligence Track. Working with peers from different backgrounds gave the students opportunities to communicate, adapt, and solve problems together.
  International engagement also extended into volunteer work. Duong Thanh Luan, HUTECH’s representative in Ho Chi Minh City’s 2026 Summer Volunteer Campaign in Laos, joined a team delivering essential supplies and school materials and supporting community healthcare activities. Meanwhile, the International Green Summer Volunteer Campaign 2026 connected Vietnamese and Malaysian young people through projects that improved shared spaces and local environments. Organized with the Consulate General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City and the Malaysian Student Volunteers Foundation, the campaign showed how working side by side can strengthen both communities and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Making HUTECH a place for international study and research

While HUTECH students explored opportunities abroad, international students and researchers brought new perspectives to campus. In June, two students from Aditya University (India) completed their Information Technology exchange semester at HUTECH. Reflecting on their experience, they spoke about the support they received from lecturers and staff and the value of studying alongside peers from different backgrounds.
A group of French students also completed an intensive research internship at HUTECH’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation. Their work on AI, data processing, and information extraction involved exploring research methods and testing approaches to practical technology challenges. The internship strengthened HUTECH’s academic connections with partners in France, including CY Cergy Paris University, ECE Paris, Centrale Méditerranée, and Paris-Saclay University.
 
These inbound activities continued into September. As part of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program 2026–2027, HUTECH welcomed Prof. Albert Ritzhaupt from the University of Florida. An expert in Educational Technology and Computer Science Education, he is scheduled to work at HUTECH from September 2026 to June 2027. His planned activities include teaching, research with the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, and professional development for faculty members on applications of AI in teaching and research. His presence gives students and lecturers further opportunities to engage directly with international academic perspectives.
 
On September 4, HUTECH also welcomed students beginning their Fall Semester Exchange 2026–2027. Coming from eight institutions in Myanmar, India, Taiwan, China, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark, the students joined an orientation introducing them to HUTECH’s learning environment, student life, and Vietnamese culture. Their arrival marked the next chapter in the international learning community built on campus.
  Strengthening global partnerships through international engagement

Partnership development was another major part of HUTECH’s international activities. From June to August 2026, the University welcomed 58 delegations from universities and institutions around the world, further expanding its global network while strengthening ties with existing partners. Among them were representatives from the University of Technology Sydney (Australia), Royal Roads University (Canada), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Singapore), the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (USA), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and University College Cork (Ireland), alongside partners from across Asia and Europe. Discussions explored opportunities ranging from short-term exchanges and flexible study pathways to joint research in areas such as engineering, AI, and health sciences.
 
Alongside these engagements, HUTECH signed cooperation agreements with more than 20 universities, institutions, and organizations from countries including India, Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, Türkiye, Romania, Taiwan, and Myanmar. These agreements provide a framework for student and faculty exchanges, academic collaboration, joint research, and other initiatives tailored to the strengths and priorities of each partnership.
 
Connecting international cooperation with professional needs

Several engagements focused on how international partnerships could support students’ next steps. HUTECH’s discussions with INTECH ISC and Global On Education examined international study and experiential learning pathways. VJIT worked with Japan Create and Jobfull Partner on opportunities for students to study, intern, and pursue careers in Japan, including the language and workplace preparation needed before departure. A visit from Mr. Akihiko Ikai, Chair of Japan’s Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship Committee, included the presentation of the fourth Akihiko Ikai Family Scholarship and a conversation with VJIT students who had completed year-long internships in Japan.

HUTECH also engaged with Korean businesses and partners affiliated with China’s Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce to explore connections in engineering, technology, healthcare, and industry. A delegation from the Philippines discussed academic exchange and ways university expertise might contribute to local development, particularly in tourism. Such conversations help connect international cooperation with the skills, workplaces, and communities students hope to serve.

In health sciences, meetings with JAMWEI and Tokyo Healthcare University explored education and research in nursing, infection control, elderly care, and rehabilitation. Discussions with California Northstate University addressed pharmacy study pathways, clinical practice, exchanges, and research. HUTECH’s agreement with Chang Gung University opened further directions in hospital-based learning, doctoral education, and AI applications in medicine, while cooperation with Medi Cherry Inc. introduced possibilities for AI-supported digital learning in health sciences.
The activities of these months reached beyond any single exchange or meeting. They gave HUTECH students opportunities to practise languages, work in multicultural teams, undertake research, and contribute to communities. They also brought international learners and an international scholar to HUTECH, while creating a foundation for partners to develop future programs together. The arrival of new exchange students and Prof. Ritzhaupt in September carried that momentum into the 2026–2027 academic year. Through continued learning, exchange, and cooperation, HUTECH is working to make international experience an increasingly meaningful part of university life.

Together, these activities show how internationalization takes shape through the people who participate in it: students learning to collaborate across cultures, researchers sharing expertise, and institutions working to turn connections into practical programs.

Department of International Relations and Project Management