4.3.1. Providing free educational resources to the community
The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) regards open education and lifelong learning as a key direction in its strategy to develop as a multidisciplinary, sustainable and community-engaged university. Guided by the motto “Connecting Communities – Spreading Knowledge – Acting Sustainably”, UEH continues to widen access to education, enabling secondary school students, teachers, lecturers from other institutions, individuals, organizations and local communities who are not studying at the University to access its knowledge and learning resources.
Building on the open education ecosystem developed in previous years, UEH has stepped up the sharing of its educational resources in three forms:
- Free courses leading to certificate or award: free courses and training programmes that award certificates, certificates of completion or recognition of learning outcomes.
- Free access to campus facilities and equipment: opening up facilities, learning spaces, equipment and educational infrastructure free of charge.
- Free access to online resources: digital learning materials, online learning resources and educational tools provided free of charge to the community.
Free courses leading to certificate or award for the community
UEH delivers training and skills development programmes for learners outside the University, from secondary school students and students of partner universities to local teachers and workers. These activities focus on fields with strong practical demand, such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, innovation and career skills.
AI training for more than 30,000 teachers in Vinh Long Province
In October 2025, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) partnered with the Vinh Long Department of Education and Training to deliver the training programme “Applying AI at Work” for teachers from preschool to upper secondary level across the province. The programme was delivered through the UEH Learning Management System (LMS), with three main training sessions on October 19, 20 and 21, 2025, followed by mentoring sessions from October 22 to 26, 2025.
The “Applying AI at Work” training session for Vinh Long teachers on October 19, 2025
The programme provided knowledge and skills for applying artificial intelligence to designing lesson plans, presentations, tests, mind maps, e-learning materials and communication products for teaching.
As a result, 31,539 teachers from preschool to upper secondary level in Vinh Long Province took part and received certificates of completion, demonstrating UEH’s capacity to deliver large-scale training through its online learning platform. The training combined expert guidance, hands-on practice and the application of AI in designing learning materials, helping to strengthen the digital competence and teaching innovation of local teachers.
Thinkathon Greenovation at UEH Mekong Summer Camp 2025
In 2025, UEH ran the Thinkathon Greenovation programme with free training activities and certificates of participation. Part of UEH Mekong Summer Camp 2025 for students of UEH and partner universities nationwide, the programme covered Design Thinking 101, Ideation & Value Creation and Problem Exploration, followed by a final round developing ideas to address social and environmental problems.
Thinkathon Greenovation gives domestic and international students a space to propose innovative solutions to the challenges facing the Mekong region and its communities
Free Japanese language class for students
On April 15, 2025, the UEH Institute of Intelligent and Interactive Technologies (3ITech), together with G.A Consultants Vietnam Co., Ltd., opened a free Japanese language class for students of universities in Ho Chi Minh City. The programme aims to help students improve their foreign language skills, particularly Japanese, which is in high demand in international cooperation with Japan, and to provide basic and advanced knowledge of Japanese language and culture, preparing students for career opportunities and academic exchange programmes in Japan.
UEH holds a free Japanese language class for students of universities in Ho Chi Minh City
Evidence: UEH Institute of Intelligent and Interactive Technologies opens a free Japanese language class for students (3I News, April 15, 2025)
The course “Integrated Modern Communication for Sustainable Marketing” for women scholars and professionals in Ho Chi Minh City
The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), together with London South Bank University (United Kingdom) and the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, organized the completely free course “Integrated Modern Communication for Sustainable Marketing” for women scholars and professionals studying or working in Ho Chi Minh City, including those not studying at UEH.
Taught by experts from the United Kingdom and Vietnam, the course focused on modern communication knowledge and skills and on promoting women’s participation in climate action and sustainable green business development. As a result, more than 30 participants had their learning outcomes and creative products showcased at the “Empowering Change” exhibition at UEH Campus A on August 13, 2025, and received certificates of course completion.
Participants receive certificates of course completion from the teaching team
Evidence: The course “Integrated Modern Communication for Sustainable Marketing”: A new model for interdisciplinary education on climate action and sustainable development (UEH Portal, August 18, 2025)
UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025 – Technology and innovation skills training for university students
From July 21 to August 2, 2025, the UEH College of Technology and Design organized UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025, a free innovation training and practice programme for students of universities in Vietnam and abroad, combining 6 in-depth workshops, mentoring and awards for outstanding products.
The programme attracted 323 registrations from 28 Vietnamese universities and 4 international universities. Of these, 31 teams with 150 students, including 9 international students, were selected for the final round. Over 28 hours of idea development with 13 mentors and 92 in-depth mentoring sessions, the teams built products applying AI, VR, AR and interactive technologies to preserve and promote Vietnam’s cultural heritage. 11 outstanding teams competed in the final pitching round and received awards, helping develop technology skills, creative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration among students from outside UEH.
UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025: registration open to university students, a series of professional workshops and awards for outstanding teams.
Source: UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025 Rules; UEH Portal, “UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025: Promoting Vietnamese identity through Gen Z creativity”, August 6, 2025.
“Without Question” training course sharing practical teaching methods with university lecturers
On April 19, 2025, UEH and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) organized ICAEW Academic Connect: Train the Trainer – “Without Question”. The course trained lecturers to use the case-based film “Without Question” in teaching, combined with open questioning, role play, debate and critical discussion, to develop learners’ decision-making skills, professional ethics and critical thinking.
The programme attracted more than 70 lecturers from UEH and universities across Vietnam, who received certificates upon completing the course. Notably, ICAEW granted licence agreements for the “Without Question” training film to representatives of participating institutions, enabling them to use the learning material and case-based teaching methods.
Lecturers from UEH and universities across Vietnam attend the course and receive certificates upon completion
Evidence: ICAEW and UEH co-organize the “Without Question” training course – Connecting theory with university teaching practice (UEH Portal, April 22, 2025)
UII Incubation Program 2025 – A completely free start-up training and incubation programme for the community
From May to December 2025, the UEH Institute of Innovation (UII) ran the UII Incubation Program 2025, a six-month, completely free start-up training and incubation programme for young entrepreneurs and early-stage start-up projects, including participants from outside UEH. The programme combined professional training, expert mentoring, product testing and market connections, helping participants complete a minimum viable product (MVP), build a business strategy and validate the feasibility of their start-up model.
Across two selection rounds, the programme supported 20 start-up projects in education technology, agriculture, health, e-commerce and sustainable development. Of these, 2 projects, Tikera and BioWraps, completed company registration; Tikera recorded revenue growth and successfully raised funding. The programme also facilitated more than 15 business collaborations, strengthening entrepreneurial capacity, connecting resources and creating development opportunities for the start-up community outside UEH.
A completely free start-up training and incubation programme for the community
Evidence: “Call for projects for the UII Incubation Program 2025”, UEH Portal, 2025
Free access to campus facilities and equipment for the community
In addition to training programmes, UEH widens access to its facilities and academic spaces for learners and communities outside the University. These resources include the library, study areas, research and innovation spaces, halls and equipment for educational activities organized or supported by the University.
UEH Mekong shares its green education experience space with secondary school students in 2025
From February to April 2025, as part of the UEH Green Campus Project, UEH Mekong ran the Green University Model experience programme Let’s Green Unitour for lower and upper secondary school students from outside UEH. The programme welcomed 28 schools and more than 6,500 students to the UEH Mekong experience area.
Students from schools outside UEH took part free of charge in green education activities at UEH Mekong and directly used the models and practical tools set up at the learning stations. In this way, UEH shared not only knowledge but also its educational spaces and resources, enabling students to take part in experiential learning beyond the traditional classroom.
Lower and upper secondary school students take part in activities at the UEH Mekong Green University Model experience area, February–April 2025
Evidence: “New milestones of the UEH Green Campus Project in 2025: Operating and spreading the UEH Green University Model to the community”, UEH Green Campus.
Through this activity, UEH brought environmental, sustainability and green practice education closer to secondary school students and enabled learners from outside the University to directly access its educational spaces and practice models. The activity shows how UEH used its existing educational infrastructure to support community experiential learning in 2025.
Opening library spaces and learning facilities to the community
Operating since June 2020, UEH Smart Library follows a smart library model that integrates reading, study and research spaces with knowledge access services. The library offers various functional areas for reading, study and research, together with accessibility features for people with disabilities, such as ramps, wide aisles, priority seating, screen-reader software and assistive devices.
In addition to serving UEH students, lecturers and learners, the library welcomes local residents and lecturers, students and experts from Vietnamese and international institutions to visit, read on site, learn about the digital library model and engage in academic exchange.
Smart Library is also a venue for research skills workshops, conferences, seminars, open reading activities and academic competitions, notably the Digital Security Hackathon, a project mobilizing initiatives from students and young professionals (aged 18–30) to combat cybercrime, online fraud and human trafficking in Southeast Asia. In 2025, the library also opened its spaces and equipment to local families through the Family Connect programme described below.
UEH Smart Library serves as an open space for diverse community groups and for national and international competitions and events
Source: UEH Smart Library website (smartlib.ueh.edu.vn)
UEH Family Connect 2025 – Sharing smart library spaces and educational equipment with the community
On July 19, 2025, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), through the UEH Library, held the completely free programme “Family Connect: A 4.0 Library Adventure” at the Nguyen Van Linh Campus, Ho Chi Minh City, on the occasion of Vietnamese Family Day. The event brought together families from the UEH community and parents and children from Binh Hung Commune, extending the university library’s reach to learners outside UEH.
The programme featured five interactive educational stations combining learning spaces, technology equipment and skills development activities: AR Art Station, STEM Explorers, Smart Library Quest, English Fun Corner and Decode and Play. Alongside the five stations, UEH organized the drawing contest “The UEH Library of the Future”, which received 30 entries and honoured 10 outstanding works in two age groups. The programme enabled children and parents to experience a modern library environment, try learning technologies and explore ways of developing skills outside the classroom.
Through Family Connect, UEH directly shared its Smart Library spaces and educational equipment with the local community for experiential activities. This demonstrates how the University put its facilities to work for educational activities beyond its formal degree programmes in 2025.
Overview of the programme “Family Connect: A 4.0 Library Adventure”
Source: “‘Family Connect: A 4.0 Library Adventure’ – An inspiring journey of connection, creativity and learning”, UEH Portal, July 23, 2025 – event review article.
UEH Institute of Innovation (UII) – Sharing learning, working and start-up incubation spaces with the community
In 2025, UEH, through its Institute of Innovation (UII), continued to expand the sharing of start-up support spaces and infrastructure, enabling individuals, project teams and early-stage start-ups, including those from outside UEH, to access educational and innovation resources in a university environment.
Through the UII Incubation Program, UEH provides a completely free, six-month incubation programme combining professional training, start-up mentoring, minimum viable product (MVP) development, market validation and investor connections. A co-working space is among the resources UII provides to participating teams, supporting professional exchange, teamwork, business model building and product development.
This model extends the use of university facilities from formal education to supporting practical learning and entrepreneurial capacity development in the community. For projects admitted to the programme, the use of spaces and equipment follows UII’s support conditions.
Sources:
- “UII Incubation Program”, UEH Institute of Innovation – announcement of the free incubation programme and access to the co-working space.
- “Call for projects for the UII Incubation Program 2025”, UEH Portal.
UII Sandbox Program 2025 – Sharing creative spaces and start-up incubation support with university students
UII Sandbox is an annual incubation programme run by UEH for students of universities across Vietnam, not limited to UEH learners.
In 2025, UII Sandbox Program gave 231 students from 16 universities with 77 ideas/projects the opportunity to take part in training, mentoring and start-up idea development at UEH. Participating teams had free use of the creative space on the 15th floor of UEH Campus B, combined with workshops, mentoring and product development practice.
In the direct incubation phase, 22 projects with 100 students from 11 universities were selected to take part in professional activities and complete their prototypes. Combining hands-on learning spaces, mentoring resources and the start-up ecosystem widens access to innovation education for students outside UEH.
The Startup Exhibition in the B1 lobby, UEH Campus B, with 17 projects displaying completed minimum viable products (MVPs)
Evidence: UII Sandbox – Showcase Day 2025: Where UEH students turn ideas into practical solutions (published on January 14, 2026)
Mekong Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE) – Connecting facilities with the local start-up community
Following the launch of the Mekong Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MCIE) in May 2024, UEH Mekong continued in 2025 to develop its ecosystem of learning, working and start-up practice spaces for students, project teams, start-ups and partners in the Mekong Delta.
MCIE is equipped with facilities for training, discussion and innovation, including 06 group meeting rooms for 4–12 people and 01 conference room seating 50, together with a co-working space. These spaces are equipped for presentations, professional exchange, conferences, skills training and start-up idea development.
Through training, mentoring and idea development programmes organized or co-organized by UEH Mekong, MCIE’s facilities enable learners and partners from outside UEH to access a hands-on innovation environment. For programmes approved by UEH Mekong for free use of space, sharing meeting rooms, working areas and equipment helps reduce infrastructure costs for early-stage start-up teams.
In 2025, UEH Mekong continued to run start-up skills and idea development activities, notably Thinkathon Greenovation 2025, connecting learners from various institutions with experts and the Mekong innovation ecosystem.
The spacious, airy, open-plan co-working space inspires creativity among start-ups
Source: “UEH – Vinh Long Campus: A modern innovation space for learners”, UEH Portal – information on meeting rooms, the conference room and the co-working space.
“Sharing Creative and Development Spaces with UEH” – Widening community access to educational infrastructure
In 2025, UEH continued the programme “Sharing Creative and Development Spaces with UEH”, combining free support for approved educational, academic and community activities with fee-based space rental services in accordance with regulations. Shared resources include classrooms, meeting rooms, halls and equipment for teaching, conferences, training and professional exchange.
Source: “Sharing Creative and Development Spaces with UEH”, UEH official partnership page – information on available spaces, equipment and registration procedures.
UEH English Zone – A space for language learning, practice and community connection
In 2025, UEH continued to develop UEH English Zone (EZ) as a space for learning and practising English outside the classroom, combining communication activities, cultural exchange and skills development in an interactive environment. Programmes were held at the Nguyen Tri Phuong and Nguyen Van Linh campuses, extending the use of UEH’s academic spaces for experiential learning.
In 2025, UEH English Zone held 100 regular programmes, with weekly activities at both campuses. In addition to the physical space, the online community “EZee English with EZ” reached 4,269 members, connecting learners and sharing English practice resources.
Maintaining English Zone activities reflects UEH’s efforts to use university spaces for learning beyond formal programmes. Some programmes are open free of charge to students of other universities, a way in which UEH shares its learning spaces and language practice opportunities with the wider community.
Regular programmes at UEH English Zone attract many UEHers and English enthusiasts from across the city
Source:
“Looking back on 2025 with EZ Wrapped 2025”, UEH Department of Student Affairs – results of 100 programmes and English Zone activities in 2025.
Opening the “Empowering Change” exhibition space to the community
On August 13, 2025, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) opened the “Empowering Change” exhibition in the main lobby of Campus A.
The exhibition presented research findings and communication solutions on the role of women in climate action, gender equality and sustainable development. By using exhibition space on its campus, UEH extended knowledge sharing from the classroom to the community, enabling visitors to learn about the course content, practical products and sustainability initiatives.
The “Empowering Change” exhibition space open to the community to learn about sustainability initiatives at UEH Campus A
Evidence: The course “Integrated Modern Communication for Sustainable Marketing”: A new model for interdisciplinary education on climate action and sustainable development (UEH Portal, August 18, 2025)
Free access to online resources and open learning materials for the community
UEH Smart Library – Widening access to library and academic resources
In addition to its physical learning spaces, UEH Smart Library provides search tools and digital learning resources for the learning, teaching and research needs of the community. Through the smartlib.ueh.edu.vn portal, users can search for information on materials and access publicly available knowledge resources without visiting the UEH campus.
The system integrates the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) at opac.ueh.edu.vn, allowing users to search bibliographic information on books, textbooks, theses, dissertations, monographs and reference materials. In addition, the UEH Digital Repository at digital.lib.ueh.edu.vn provides scholarly works published on an Open Access basis, allowing the public to read and download open-access materials online.
The UEH Smart Library platform interface, in operation since 2020
Source: UEH Smart Library website
UEH Global Learning provides more than 230 free mock exams for upper secondary school students nationwide
Building on the UEH Global Learning community project launched in 2021, UEH continued in 2025 to develop and update this free online learning platform for students, teachers and upper secondary schools nationwide.
In particular, to support Grade 12 students preparing for the national high school graduation exam, UEH Global Learning continued to provide more than 230 free mock exams and online revision resources for upper secondary school students nationwide. Via https://global.ueh.edu.vn, students from outside UEH can access free revision resources on any Internet-connected device, take mock exams and use automatic grading to assess their learning. The platform also integrates online teaching tools, reference materials and career guidance, and UEH shares and transfers it free of charge to Departments of Education and Training and upper secondary schools to support digital transformation in education.
Maintaining the platform over many years and updating its content to meet the requirements of the 2025 exam demonstrates the continuity of UEH’s open learning resources, widening educational opportunities for students in different localities, including areas with limited learning conditions.
The UEH Global Learning platform with learning materials, tools and career guidance programmes for lower and upper secondary school students
Source: “UEH Global Learning – Supporting candidates in the 2025 national high school graduation exam under the 2018 General Education Curriculum”, UEH Portal, April 18, 2025 – UEH Global Learning website
Online course FMC3 – Foundations of Digital Entrepreneurship
Under the Digital Skills to Succeed in Asia (DS2S) project implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), UEH co-designed and delivered the online course FMC3 – Foundations of Digital Entrepreneurship, developing its competency framework and 11 modules to digital instructional design standards, with greater practical application and relevance to the Vietnamese context. The course was piloted in three countries and officially launched on the ATINGI platform in November 2025.
The free online course helps students across Asia build the digital skills they need to enter a constantly changing job market with confidence
Source: “Nurturing Innovation – Building UEH’s Creative Ecosystem”, UEH Portal. The article confirms the development of the FMC3 course under the Digital Skills to Succeed in Asia (DS2S) project and its launch on the ATINGI platform in November 2025.
Conclusion:
The 2023–2025 period saw continuous growth in UEH’s provision of free educational resources to the community. In 2023, UEH laid the foundations of open education, with more than 8,000 beneficiaries of free learning activities. In 2024, the University expanded its reach, with more than 6,000 participations in training, workshops and skills development programmes, of which more than 1,800 participants received certificates; it also supported more than 3,000 people in accessing its facilities and recorded more than 38,000 visits to and interactions with its online learning resources.
In 2025, UEH further widened free access to educational resources for the community in three forms: training and skills development programmes; sharing spaces and educational infrastructure for experiential learning; and maintaining and developing open learning materials and online learning tools. Highlights include AI training for more than 30,000 teachers in Vinh Long Province, demonstrating large-scale knowledge sharing; the UEH Global Learning platform with more than 230 free mock exams updated to the 2018 General Education Curriculum; and green education experiences at UEH Mekong that reached more than 6,500 students from 28 lower and upper secondary schools.
Building on the open education foundations developed in 2023–2024, the 2025 activities show progress in reach, use of technology and the ability to bring higher education resources closer to the practical needs of the community. In this way, UEH not only extends knowledge sharing beyond its campus but also helps strengthen digital competence, promote equitable access to education and advance SDG 4 – Quality Education in line with its vision of a multidisciplinary and sustainable university.