Chairwoman of the University Council shared LHU's achievements at 2023 STEMCON Conference

As advancements and innovations in science, technology, and engineering change and create new career opportunities across all industry sectors, the Vietnamese technical professionals and entrepreneurs must be front and center in Vietnam to prepare a sustainable STEM workforce to drive the digital economy today and in the future.

Dr. Do Thi Lan Dai beside the poster introducing technology products of LHU students

On August 18, 2023, Dr. Do Thi Lan Dai - Chairwoman of LHU's Council was present at the eighth annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEMCON) Conference taking place at Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia ward, Ha Dong, Hanoi.

Dr. Do Thi Lan Dai and leaders of universities discuss the university autonomy: Building a “new corporate university model” through digital transformation 

The STEMCON conference is an exciting meeting opportunity for all tech enthusiasts, innovators, faculty and industries. This year's conference theme is to convene industry, universities, and government to define a “call to action” for the development of a national roadmap for STEM education, especially digital, technology and engineering skills for STEM digitally driven workforce and technology entrepreneurs of the future. 

As a special guest of the event, Dr. Do Thi Lan Dai shared 10 outstanding achievements of LHU during 8 years of joining the BUILD-IT project. Prominently, the University has been investing in an expansion project with a budget of up to USD 20 million.

Outstanding achievements of LHU when participating in the BUILD-IT project including:

1. Successfully converting to a private university in 2021;

2. Successfully developing and integrating KPI performance-based system into university strategies and goals in 2021 (with management dashboard);

3. 10 training programs meeting the AUN-QA standards and 2 programs accredited in accordance with ABET standards;

4. 10 lecturers certified via CFT/MTT, 1xCFT and 3xMTT rounds led by LHU;

5. 100% academic programs with the participation of the Industry Advisory Board;

6. 220 students participating in BUILD-IT's Project-Based Learning (EPICS, MEP, URI, Electronic Projects, Automation Competitions, ...) and developing 28 student community projects;

7. Integrating EPICS into 5 programs to enhance student learning experiences and outcomes;

8. 11 courses of the Faculty of Information Technology certified AWS Academy Program;

9. Top 100 Innovative Universities (WURI ranking): 93th (2021) → 85th (2022) → 74th (2023);

10. VND 6 billion for student scholarships funded by Departments and partners.

In addition, the conference highlighted the outstanding achievements of the BUILD-IT project in the past 8 years. The project has brought worthy values in university autonomy enhancement, improved curriculum quality and maintained long-term partnerships in Vietnam.

LHU sharing its USD 20 million expansion project

At the conference, there were also presentations and panel discussions including University Design Leadership Dialogue: MOET and University Rector’s Response to Digital Transformation Call to Action; Industry’s Voice: Development of Vietnam’s STEM Workforce of the Future; Creating Pathways to STEM Education through Digital and Online Lifelong Learning at Scale; Afternoon Keynote Presentation: University Autonomy: Building a “New Corporate University Model” through Digital Transformation; Building 21st Century Professional Skills: Experiential and Project-based Learning Outside the Traditional Classrooms; Reskilling the STEM Workforce through “just-in-time” Micro-credentials and Certification Programs.

Scholars attending the conference also shared challenges and opportunities faced in the digital economy, workforce trends, education policies and innovative learning models for Vietnam.

According to Dr. Dai, the 4th industrial revolution has made a strong impact on the global labor market, including Vietnam, and reshaped the economy. However, the process of digital transformation means more jobs will be replaced, but it does not mean there will be fewer job opportunities, or people today will become less important, especially in the STEM field.

STEMCON Vietnam was first launched by the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP), a project funded by Intel Vietnam and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).