11.2.1. Public access to buildings

UEH and its Policy of Open Access to Cultural and Community Spaces

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) demonstrates its strong commitment to sustainable development and community engagement through the policy “Sharing creative and development spaces with UEH” This initiative ensures free public access to all academic, cultural, and heritage-related spaces of significance across UEH’s main campuses (A, B, N, and UEH Mekong). Entrance to these spaces is entirely free of charge; reasonable fees, if applicable, are only for supplementary services or event venue rentals and do not affect free public entry (free public access).

Representative open-access spaces include the UEH E-History Digital Heritage Room, UEH Smart Library, UEH MakerSpace, UEH Innovation Institute (UII), UEH English Zone, and UEH Mekong Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, along with community-serving open courtyards. UEH frequently organizes public workshops, exhibitions, guided tours, and dialogue sessions, welcoming both domestic and international groups (such as SSEAYP 2024). These activities actively promote knowledge sharing, cultural exchange, and innovation dissemination, enhancing inclusive access for high school students, university students, alumni, local residents, and enterprises.

Since 2023, UEH has established the Digital Heritage Room (UEH E-History) as a digitized heritage space that allows the community, alumni, and visitors to explore the institution’s history and cultural legacy. In addition, UEH MakerSpace and the UEH Innovation Institute (UII) regularly host innovation and entrepreneurship workshops, training programs, and community-oriented activities, many of which are offered free of charge to students, local businesses, and residents. The UEH English Zone provides an open, interactive space for language and cultural learning, featuring events that bring together lecturers, students, and international guests—fostering cross-cultural understanding and social inclusion. UEH also offers free access to its library system, enabling the community to access a broad range of academic resources and knowledge platforms. Furthermore, the university organizes campus tours for high school students, alumni, and education leaders, opening auditoriums and green spaces to welcome the local community, international delegations (such as SSEAYP 2024), and public forums or conferences. Activities at the UEH Mekong Center in the Mekong Delta region further exemplify the university’s effort to share facilities. Thereby, spreading knowledge, culture, and innovation, while enhancing equitable access for high school students, university students, alumni, local residents, and businesses.

To further enhance inclusivity and align with the “Free access to all significant buildings” benchmark, UEH is currently implementing a plan to formally adopt and publish an official open-access policy for its heritage spaces, libraries, E-History Room, English Zone, and MakerSpace, as well as collect quantitative data on the number of visitors and community events annually. 

Activity / Space	Target Beneficiary	Space description	Implementation approach	Outcomes – Impact	Campus-wide coverage	Data 2023-2024	Evidence
UEH E-History	Students, Alumni, Visitors	A digitized space (UEH E-History) leveraging modern technology (touch screens, Hologram, interactive elements) to enable the community to freely explore UEH’s history, tradition, and future development orientation.  The E-History space is divided into three main areas: – Zone A – UEH Tradition: Visitors can interact with and view images and videos introducing the university’s history, achievements, and activities in training and research. – Zone B – Milestones in UEH’s Development: Showcasing significant artifacts and historical events through hologram technology, allowing viewers to experience key moments in the university’s history as well as major developments in Vietnam and the world. – Zone C – Honoring UEH Values: This area features video presentations about the university, highlights VIP guests, and introduces prominent events happening at UEH’s Campus A.	Open doors for free community visits.	Enhanced public access to institutional heritage and promoted UEH cultural and historical education.	Campus A	12 tours (averaging 1 tour/ month)	https://hotro.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/phong-truyen-thong-so-3603
UEH MakerSpace	Students, Community, Enterprises	An “open creative space” dedicated to hosting dozens of workshops, short-term training courses, and practical design/assembly experience activities. Many activities involve the participation of external guests, youth community groups, and businesses. Intensive mentoring sessions for the top 1 team participating in the UEH Brand Gift Set Design Competition at UEH MakerSpace in 2024.	Organized open and free workshops and courses.	Promote innovation and knowledge sharing	Campus B	50 participants in the competition	https://www.ueh.edu.vn/en/news/official-launch-of-an-art-creation-space-ueh-makerspace-70356 https://ueh.edu.vn/cuoc-song-ueh/tin-tuc/top-5-doi-thi-xuat-sac-san-sang-toa-sang-tai-vong-chung-khao-cua-cuoc-thi-thiet-ke-bo-san-pham-qua-tang-thuong-hieu-ueh-73132
UII – UEH Innovation Institute	Students, Enterprises, Local Community	A critical hub for nurturing startup seeds by connecting innovative ideas and providing shared working spaces and incubation services for the community.	Free exhibition and community activity areas. Reasonable fees applied for support/startup packages when service needs arise	An open space for entrepreneurship programs and innovation promotion.	UII – UEH Innovation Institute	A total of 32 startup projects have been successfully incubated, with 24 intensive training courses, 126 meetings utilizing free facilities, and 154 support requests fulfilled.	https://uii.ueh.edu.vn/
Mekong Delta Center for  Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE)	General Public	Disseminating knowledge, inspiring, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship activities across the Southwestern (Mekong Delta) region, with a focus on developing local potential startup projects.	Free of charge.	Connecting with businesses and communities in the Southwestern region of Vietnam.	UEH Mekong	Provided workspace and creative space support for local startups.	https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-inaugurating-the-mekong-delta-center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-mcie-and-organizing-the-contests-the-stem-ueh-mekong-2024-and-drone-champion-vinh-long-2024-71962
UEH English Zone	Students, Lecturers, International Community	A dedicated zone for learners and staff to experience a dynamic English-speaking environment through numerous beneficial and recurrent activities.	A series of free events in diverse formats designed to help UEHers experience the language, remaining open for community participation.	Dissemination of culture and language, actively promoting international exchange.	Campus B	Each activity involved approximately 50 students	https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/english-zone-the-first-english-park-in-ueh-57295
UEH Smart Library	UEH Members and Visitors	The Smart Library provides free access to new knowledge and specialized resources for learners. The facility is actively opened to visiting delegations from other Universities, High Schools, and the general public.	Free of charge.	Created opportunities for the community to access specialized knowledge resources, supporting lifelong learning.	Campus B and Campus N	Hosted 6 visiting delegations from Universities and High Schools in 2024.	https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-smart-library-72916
UEH Campus Tour	High School Students, Students, Alumni, Parents, Visitors	UEH Campus Tour K50: Campus Tour was specifically designed for new students to familiarize themselves with UEH’s campuses, promote peer networking, and introduce the activities of student organizations.	Free registration and participation.	Helped students gain a comprehensive understanding of the UEH learning environment.	Campuses A, B, and N	200 new students participated.	https://www.ueh.edu.vn/tuyen-sinh/ueh-campus-tour-danh-rieng-cho-tan-sinh-vien-khoa-50-cung-ueh-bat-dau-hanh-trinh-moi-72278
		UEH Alumni Tour: Alumni are guided to visit the university’s campuses, including Campus B at 279 Nguyen Tri Phuong, District 10, and Campus N located in Functional Area No. 15, New Urban Area of South Ho Chi Minh City, Phong Phu Commune, Binh Chanh District.	Free of charge.	– Evoked memories, facilitated sharing, and experienced UEH’s transformation – Strengthened the bond and connected generations.	Campuses A, B, and N	Over 50 retired faculty and staff participated.
Community Event	Japanese and ASEAN delegates, Community	SSEAYP International Conference: This program provided a critical platform for exchange and discussion among SSEAYP 2024 delegates, significantly strengthening friendship and fostering mutual understanding between the youth of Japan and ASEAN nations.	Opened the UEH auditorium for the exchange program.	Enhanced International Collaboration and promoted ASEAN culture.	All Campuses	Approximately 200 delegates attended.	https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/exchange-and-discussion-for-delegates-of-the-48th-ship-for-southeast-asian-and-japanese-youth-program-sseayp-in-2024-73039
	Leaders of the Department of Education and Training and High School	Mekong Delta Education & Training Conference: A crucial forum dedicated to discussing career guidance for high school students and outlining preparation strategies for the 2025 National High School Graduation Exam. It also provided essential capacity building in management, administration, and effective execution of tasks for the Board of Management and Admissions staff across regional high schools.	Hosted the conference at UEH Campus.	Strengthening regional educational cooperation.	UEH Mekong	A total of 248 delegates participated, including leaders of the Departments of Education and Training, principals, vice principals, as well as youth union secretaries and admission officers from 145 high schools across 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta region.	https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/conference-of-leadership-of-the-department-of-education-and-training-and-high-schools-in-the-mekong-delta-provinces-phase-2-2024-73097
	Community, Public, Alumni, Visitors	Open Landscape & Green Campus (Tet Festival)	Decoration and opening of green public spaces for visitors.	Building a green and smart UEH image.	All Campuses		https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-and-efforts-in-building-a-green-smart-university-from-facilities-to-eco-friendly-campuses-73379

In 2024, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) reaffirmed its strong commitment to expanding public access to the university’s cultural, creative, and heritage spaces, aligning with the vision of “Sharing UEH Creative and Development Spaces.” UEH continued to maintain a free-access policy for students, lecturers, enterprises, the local community, and international visitors to explore and utilize its open spaces without charge. Throughout the year, UEH operated and expanded a network of inclusive and accessible spaces, including the UEH E-History Digital Heritage Room, UEH Smart Library, UEH MakerSpace, English Zone, UEH Innovation Institute (UII), and the UEH Mekong Center. These venues provided opportunities for the community to learn, research, exhibit, and host events, fostering knowledge exchange and community engagement. Flagship initiatives such as the UEH Campus Tour, Alumni Tour, and the ArtTech Fusion Exhibition 2024, along with a series of art–technology–sustainability exhibitions, attracted a broad audience from both within and beyond the university.

A distinctive feature in 2024 was UEH’s integration of emerging technologies—including hologram displays, 3D mapping, virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), and NFT artworks—into public exhibitions. These innovations enhanced interactive and immersive experiences, deepening public participation in cultural and educational activities. Moreover, UEH extended open-access coverage across all main campuses (A, B, N) and the Mekong Delta facilities, ensuring that each site offered publicly accessible spaces on a regular basis. By combining art, technology, and education, UEH actively disseminates the values of knowledge, creativity, and cultural sustainability to the wider community. These efforts not only increase the number and quality of open cultural and creative spaces, but also reflect the university’s innovative mindset and social responsibility as a multidisciplinary, sustainable institution. The year 2024 thus marks a significant milestone in UEH’s progress toward bringing knowledge and culture closer to the community—effectively advancing the SDG 11.2.1 indicator within the THE Impact Rankings framework.

Open related links:

1. Sharing creative and development spaces with UEH & UEH E-History – https://hotro.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/phong-truyen-thong-so-3603 

2. UEH MakerSpace – https://www.ueh.edu.vn/en/news/official-launch-of-an-art-creation-space-ueh-makerspace-70356

3. December 10th, 2024 – Top 5 excellent teams are ready to shine at the Final Round of the UEH Brand Gift Set Design Contest –  https://ueh.edu.vn/cuoc-song-ueh/tin-tuc/top-5-doi-thi-xuat-sac-san-sang-toa-sang-tai-vong-chung-khao-cua-cuoc-thi-thiet-ke-bo-san-pham-qua-tang-thuong-hieu-ueh-73132

4. UII – UEH Innovation Institute – https://uii.ueh.edu.vn/

5. June 5th, 2024 – Mekong Delta Center for  Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE) – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-inaugurating-the-mekong-delta-center-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-mcie-and-organizing-the-contests-the-stem-ueh-mekong-2024-and-drone-champion-vinh-long-2024-71962

6. UEH English Zone – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/english-zone-the-first-english-park-in-ueh-57295

7. UEH Smart Library – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-smart-library-72916 

8. August 18th, 2024 – UEH Campus Tour – https://www.ueh.edu.vn/tuyen-sinh/ueh-campus-tour-danh-rieng-cho-tan-sinh-vien-khoa-50-cung-ueh-bat-dau-hanh-trinh-moi-72278

9. November 24th, 2024 – SSEAYP International Conference – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/exchange-and-discussion-for-delegates-of-the-48th-ship-for-southeast-asian-and-japanese-youth-program-sseayp-in-2024-73039

10. December 1st, 2024 – Mekong Delta Education & Training Conference – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/conference-of-leadership-of-the-department-of-education-and-training-and-high-schools-in-the-mekong-delta-provinces-phase-2-2024-73097

11. January 22nd, 2024 – Open Landscape & Green Campus – https://ueh.edu.vn/en/news/ueh-and-efforts-in-building-a-green-smart-university-from-facilities-to-eco-friendly-campuses-73379