UEH Realizes the “Zero Hunger” Goal (SDG 2) Through a Green Campus: Where Technology and Innovation Nourish a Sustainable Community
Aiming at Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) is committed to caring for the daily lives and nutrition of its learners by providing healthy, safe, and easily accessible food choices. Through campus canteens, vending machines, and health‑ and environment‑friendly food services, UEH ensures that every UEHer can obtain nutritious food at reasonable prices. Notable initiatives include student projects from the Institute of Smart and Interactive Technologies, such as emotion‑responsive drink dispensers, instant‑noodle vending machines, and automated fruit‑tea vending machines. The integration of AI and automation not only adds convenience but also showcases UEH students’ creative and humanitarian spirit in building a green, sustainable, and hunger‑free campus community.
A waste audit across UEH campuses in 2024 revealed that food waste reached 26,138 kg per year, mainly from self‑service meals and takeaway portions. Detailed data show that students most often discard vegetables and rice rather than main dishes, especially during peak hours. These results indicate a need to adjust portion sizes to better match actual demand, while intensifying education on sustainable food consumption and encouraging students to take only the amount they will eat. This is an important first step for UEH to develop an efficient food‑supply system and reduce waste university‑wide.
Simultaneously, UEH has launched the “Green Campus Food Policy” together with numerous initiatives that guarantee food security and nutrition for faculty and students through a network of green, clean, and sustainable canteens, vending machines, and automated water‑filter stations located throughout all campuses.
Vending machines, coffee makers, and water purifiers are located throughout the hallways of the facilities to serve faculty and students.
UEH equips microwave ovens for lecturers and students at Campus N
Water purifiers provide water for lecturers and students in the classroom corridors
The university also encourages bringing personal containers and bottles, limiting single‑use plastics, and providing microwaves for reheating food as well as paper cups for water dispensers, thereby reducing plastic waste. These efforts not only help UEHers access healthy food and save costs, but also promote a green and sustainable lifestyle throughout the university community.
Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles to UEH.
UEH also maintains a procurement policy that prioritizes purchases from organic and local producers. According to the internal purchasing records for 2024, UEH allocates a significant portion of its raw‑material budget to local suppliers, most of which provide products meeting organic farming standards or safety‑controlled criteria. Signing long‑term contracts with suppliers of organic vegetables, fruits, and clean seafood stabilizes the food supply, improves meal quality, and reduces emissions caused by long‑distance transportation. This policy not only supports the local farming community but also lessens the carbon footprint associated with extensive logistics.
All UEH canteens offer vegetarian, environmentally‑friendly options at reasonable prices while ensuring food safety and hygiene.
The canteen menu includes environmentally friendly dishes, reasonable prices, and safe, hygienic food.
Spacious canteen providing nutritious, environmentally friendly, healthy food at reasonable prices.
From that direction, many UEH students have continued with innovative technological ideas, contributing to the realization of sustainable and smart food access on campus. For example, a group of Logistics Engineering students (engineering program) developed an emotion‑responsive automatic beverage vending machine that uses AI to suggest suitable drinks based on user information such as age, gender, and preferences. The system employs an automated microcontroller, allowing the machine to operate independently without needing a phone or computer connection. This solution opens a new approach to personalized consumption experiences while promoting green consumption habits and energy savings within the university environment.
A group of students created an AI-integrated vending machine that serves drinks according to mood – Photo: T.T.
A group of first-year students created an automatic fruit shake vending machine – Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper
From the same spirit of creativity, robotics and artificial‑intelligence students have built an automatic instant‑noodle vending machine that can serve a hot bowl of noodles in just one minute for VND 10,000, ensuring safety and cost‑effectiveness. Another team developed an automatic shaking fruit‑vending machine, helping reduce post‑harvest loss, save labor, and preserve food quality. According to Associate Professor Nguyen Truong Thinh, Director of the Institute of Smart and Interactive Technologies, these initiatives demonstrate UEH students’ ability to apply technology and also contribute to a green, sustainable campus model where technology practically serves people.
Automatic cup noodle vending machine, 30 liter capacity, priced at 10,000 VND/bowl – Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper
Fruit tea vending machine of first-year students of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics – Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper
The initiatives above not only reflect the spirit of innovation, creativity, and social responsibility of UEH students but also demonstrate how sustainable education is realized through concrete actions. From controlling food waste and developing green canteen models on campus to applying AI and automation in food provision, UEH is gradually building a learning environment that is hunger‑free, green, and humane. This exemplifies the vision of “One UEH for a Sustainable Community,” where knowledge, technology, and compassion intertwine to create positive changes for society today and in the future.
In 2024, UEH, together with the UEH Youth Union–Student Association and the UEH Trade Union, launched activities and programs for students and staff to ensure food security, a support program for students, staff, and workers lacking adequate food. More than 1,500 UEH students (≈10 % of the total regular student body) directly received food assistance—essential supplies or free/low‑cost meals—through the Spring Volunteer activities, dormitory initiatives, and the Green Summer Volunteer Campaign. In addition, about 20 % of all students regularly use the UEH canteen, which provides food that meets food safety and hygiene standards (FSHA) as stipulated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and undergoes annual certification. The Green Monday communication series also raises awareness among students, staff, and the wider community about food security and food‑waste reduction. By maintaining and expanding this policy each year, UEH reaffirms its long‑term commitment to supporting students in overcoming food‑insecurity concerns, moving toward sustainable and equitable education.
| Program | Object | Description | Results |
| The 16th Spring Volunteer | Students | “Going Home for Tet with PVOIL – Spring of the Dragon 2024”
The program, organized by UEH in collaboration with PVOIL and several universities in Ho Chi Minh City, aimed to support students returning to their hometowns for the Tet holiday. During the journey, PVOIL’s youth union members and staff prepared free food and drinks for the students and gave them “banh chung” (traditional sticky rice cakes) as gifts for their trip home. |
The program successfully brought more than 1,100 students studying in Ho Chi Minh City back to their hometowns in provinces ranging from Binh Thuan to Thanh Hoa, helping them enjoy a warm and joyful Tet holiday. |
| Spring welcome activities at UEH Dormitory | Students at UEH dormitories | A series of spring preparation and celebration activities was held in 2024 for students who remained in the dormitories during the Tet holiday.
The activities included decorating festive check-in spaces at the dormitory, making and giving “banh chung” (traditional sticky rice cakes) to students, organizing volunteer programs in surrounding communities, and hosting cultural exchange nights and Tet-themed games and celebrations. Students wrapping cakes A gathering was organized between the Dormitory Management Board and resident students who stayed on campus during the Tet holiday. |
The program ensured adequate food supply and meal provisions for students staying in the dormitories during the Tet holiday. |
| 2024 Economic student volunteer campaign – Stage 1: Green summer | Local UEH student volunteers | The annual program organized by the UEH Youth Union – Association is part of the series of activities of the Economic Student Volunteer Campaign.
The program has supported gifts of necessities and necessary food for soldiers on duty in Vinh Long province. |
The program visited and delivered gifts consisting of essential goods and food supplies to nine locations, including My Phuoc, Nhon Phu, An Phuoc, Binh Phuoc, Hoa Tinh Commune, Cai Nhum Town, Chanh An, and My An, offering encouragement and support to students to help them stay focused and confident in their work. |
| Bright Future Scholarship | UEH Students | The program is implemented by the UEH Student Association to help students with difficult circumstances overcome difficulties in their studies. |
As part of the “Great Circle Night 2024” event, the “Bright Future Scholarship” was once again awarded to 10 UEH students, with a total value of 4 million VND in cash, along with scholarship vouchers from the Center for Applied Technology and Design (ATD) and meal vouchers for the university canteen. |
| Giving food to UEH officials | UEH officials and employees | Donating rice and necessities to disadvantaged officials to celebrate Tet. | Encourage UEH officials and employees to have a happy and prosperous Tet holiday. |
| Green Monday Campaign | UEH students, officials, employees, and the community | UEH, in collaboration with Green Campus, has implemented the “Green Monday” series featuring posts on topics such as “The Environmental Impacts of Food Waste”, “Food Waste Situation in Vietnam”, and “Solutions to Reduce Food Waste.” This communication series helps UEH disseminate knowledge about food security not only within the UEH student community but also to students from other universities through various online communication channels. | Equip knowledge, raise awareness about green lifestyle, food security, and combat food waste. |
From the initial focus on ensuring food security, providing healthy, safe food, and minimizing waste on campus, UEH has gradually expanded its vision toward an integrated approach that combines sustainability and technology. The green‑canteen models, automatic vending systems, and single-use plastic-reduction policies have been inherited and further strengthened through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in student‑led initiatives. Projects such as emotion‑responsive drink dispensers, instant‑noodle vending machines, and automatic fruit‑vending machines demonstrate the shift from green practices to green innovation, showcasing UEH’s capacity for innovation, humanitarian spirit, and commitment to realizing the SDG 2 – Zero Hunger through the connection of knowledge, technology, and social responsibility.
Open related links:
1. January 28, 2024 – “PVOIL Brings Students Home for Tet” – Spring of the Year of the Dragon 2024 –
https://pvoil.com.vn/en/pvoil-brings-students-home-for-tet-spring-of-the-year-of-dragon-2024
2. February 07, 2024 – Spring Welcome Activities at UEH Dormitory –
https://www.ueh.edu.vn/cuoc-song-ueh/tin-tuc/hoat-dong-chao-xuan-tai-ky-tuc-xa-ueh-71393
3. July 12, 2024 – 2024 Economic student volunteer campaign: UEH Leaders’ visit to Vinh Long Provincial front – A journey of trust and hope –
4. October 14, 2024 – “Bright Future Scholarship” 2024 – Accompanying and supporting UEH students. –
5. May 25, 2024 – [Tuoi Tre Newspaper] UEH first-year students create AI-integrated vending system –
6. UEH Promotes Healthy, Sustainable Food Support Initiatives for Students and Faculty –
https://gogreen.ueh.edu.vn/en/the-impact-ranking/sdgs-item/254-sustainable-food-purchases
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