Department of International Cooperation and Development Studies

In 2021, under the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, UTC's cooperation and development studies activities quickly adapted and came into operation under new normal conditions. Cooperation activities focus on the main directions of perfecting the system of policy documents in service of foreign affairs; maintaining and deepening cooperation relations with traditional organizations both at home and abroad; in order to achieve the common goal of increasingly practical cooperation, beneficial for the UTC’s development and improving the UTC’s role and position in the society.

Step by step perfecting the system of policy documents in service of external affairs and development studies.

Regarding external affairs, with the view of expanding the focal points, increasing the proactiveness for functional units in cooperation activities while ensuring the consistency of the external affairs of the University, in 2021, UTC has built and perfected the system of legal documents for international cooperation. Specifically, under the leadership of the Presidential Board, the International Cooperation & Development Studies Department and relevant units have reviewed and adjusted the international transaction names of the units, the leadership titles and the English names of the training majors to create consistency in using and supporting brand promotion of the University. Along with that, the “Regulations on management of international cooperation activities” and "Regulations on connecting and serving the community of the University of Transport and Communications" have been issued as a basis to expand the implementation of University's external relations and community service activities to all functional units, and at the same time become a basis for methodically deploying and evaluating external activities. The promulgated documents have met the actual needs of the University and are appropriate to the general requirements of the research university as prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

In terms of development studies, in 2021, with the goal of establishing solid foundations, UTC has focused on implementing the university's development studies activities on three main aspects. These are: advising on the improvement of strategies, policies, and documents regulating the organization, management and implementation of a number of aspects of the University's work; continue to promote cooperation activities between the University and social organizations in training, science and technology activities through practical projects and products that are useful to both sides, which will contribute to society and continue to affirm the UTC’s position on the prestigious university rankings. The University has completed its development strategy for the period of 2021-2030. This strategy has been signed and promulgated by the University’s Council for implementation from December 2021. UTC has identified eight key tasks and solutions and corresponding action programs to actualize University’s strategy in all aspects of work. Also in this academic year, in order to institutionalize and create a corridor for the organization of research activities serving the University's government, including: research on university’s organization, government; on university’s training; on the market of science and technology services and labor - production in order to promptly find solutions to adjust and transform the University's activities towards university’s autonomy, UTC has approved third-grade university-level research topics conducted by functional departments of the University.

Actively seek and effectively implement international projects

In 2021, with the aim of becoming an active and responsible member of international cooperation organizations, thereby affirming the position and expanding the prestige of the University, seeking investment sources to improve the quality of the staff and facilities, UTC has actively participated and been highly appreciated for the quality of implementing international projects.

Project “Modernization, Development and Capacity Building of Master Curriculum in Traffic Safety in Asian Universities (ASIASAFE)” was approved for funding in the Erasmus+ Program on training high-quality human resources (Erasmus+ CBHE) of the European Commission. It was signed and implemented from January 2021 to January 2024 with a total budget of 989,770 Euro, in which the funding for UTC is 86,825 Euro, equivalent to 2,379,402,659 VND.

Project “Renovation of university’s governance in Southeast Asia – PURSEA” was approved by the Ministry of Education and Training in June 2021, has been organized and implemented methodically and is well appreciated by partners. The University received a equipment sponsorship package worth 25,000 Euro to invest and equip facilities for the E-Learning Center. At the same time, it opens new opportunities for lecturers and managers of the University to access training sessions to improve capacity in human resources management and information technology at foreign universities.

The project to develop a Francophone training program combining distance and on-site for civil engineering major - funded by AUF with a total cost of 10,000 Euro has been successfully implemented by the E-Learning Center and the Russian-French Department and helped to build one of the first online lectures of UTC. 

UTC with other domestic and international universities participated in the project "Renovation of university governance in Southeast Asia – PURSEA" 

The project “Surveying transportation policies and planning in Vietnam” by the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) in collaboration with UTC was newly signed in 2021 with a contract value of 30,000 USD was successfully implemented, which continues to open up opportunities for cooperation of UTC with Korean partners.

In 2021, the UTC’s Campus in Ho Chi Minh City cooperated with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation (USA) to implement the project "For global road traffic safety" in Ho Chi Minh City. The project implementation results from June to December 2021 have helped to link traffic safety data between the authorities of Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to the clarity and quantification of statistics about traffic accidents in the city, thereby supporting the Traffic Safety Board to propose effective solutions to limit traffic accidents in Ho Chi Minh City. It is highly appreciated by the sponsors and city's authorities. 

In the last days of 2021, UTC has developed and got approved for the project "Cross-Sector Partnerships to Improve Transnational Education and Gender Equity in Transport sector in Vietnam" funded by the British Council and will be implemented in 2022.

At the same time, the research group on "Structural Health Supervision" of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (UTC) in collaboration with Middlesex University (United Kingdom), KU Leuven University, Ghent University (Belgium) continued to receive the funding from domestic international investment funds (Newton Fund and Vingroup) to carry out further research projects.

The University of Transport and Communications received a research grant on "application of artificial intelligence to monitor the health of bridge works based on big data obtained from smart sensors" from VinGroup Fund 

Continuing to implement international training cooperation programs

The University continues to implement international training cooperation programs at undergraduate level such as: Advanced Program in Transport Construction Engineering in cooperation with the University of Leeds (United Kingdom); Joint training program in Construction Management in cooperation with the University of Bedfordshire (United Kingdom); Joint training program for high-qualified engineers in cooperation with enterprises within 1 year among three parties: University of Transport and Communications, Nissan Automotie Technology Vietnam Company and Pasona Tech Vietnam Company; Collaboration with HuReDee (Japan) to implement the third course of training Japanese language and working skills in a Japanese environment for final year students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering and International Education. This year's course has selected 34 excellent students who will have the opportunity to work in Japan under the engineer visa after graduation and completion of this course.

Closing of Course 2 and Opening of Course 3 of training Japanese Language and Working Skills in a Japanese Environment (HuReDee)

Under the framework agreement signed in 2018, in 2021, UTC continued to organize the enrollment of the joint training Bachelor program of International Business in collaboration with Ecole de Management de Normandie – France. The training period is 4 years, of which the first 3 years are in Vietnam, the last year at the partner.

Successfully organized many online international seminars 

Under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, most international conferences and seminars are still organized online regularly at the University, attracting many scientists of within University and other domestic and foreign partners to attend.

The 2nd International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring amd Engineering Structures

Cooperation with domestic and foreign enterprises continues to expand

Towards deepening cooperation relationships with enterprises, in 2021, in addition to continuing to expand cooperation with new organizations such as Huawei Vietnam Technology Co., Licogi18, Trung Chinh Trading and Construction Company Limited, Army Corps 12 - Truong Son Construction Corporation… UTC focused on promoting signed cooperation activities with domestic and foreign enterprises in many aspects such as training, scientific research and technology transfer. In the academic year 2021, the University continued to receive funding for research and facilities from international organizations. Among them is Samsung SVMC's support for IT training with a sponsorship package worth VND 200 million; Sika Vietnam's annual sponsorship for Civil Engineering major with an scholarship of VND 100 million per year.

UTC received 22 computers and a training support package with a total value of VND 200 million for the information technology major from Samsung SVMC Company

Leaders of the University of Transport and Communications signed a cooperation agreement with Army Corps 12 – Truong Son Construction Corporation

Leaders of the University of Transport and Communications signed a memorandum of cooperation with Licogi18

Actively prepare to participate in the QS by Subject Ranking

After successfully participating and being rated 4 stars in the UPM ranking for research institutions in 2020, UTC continued to aim to participate in the prestigious international university rankings. Since 2021, the University has been actively organizing preparation activities to join in the QS by Subject (Asia Ranking) in the field of civil engineering. The assessment process of the QS organization will be conducted in 2022 and will be an important reference channel for the University to improve its work and management; towards university autonomy in the academic year of 2023.