UEH School of Banking – a Member of Joint Enterprise University Learning Project (ERASMUS PLUS JEUL)

University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) is one of two members of the Erasmus Plus JEUL (Joint Enterprise University Learning) Project – a project aiming to enhance university learning quality and to upgrade training efficiency associated with the labor market towards the internationalization trend. Specifically, UEH School of Banking – UEH College of Business has been receiving the finance of the Project. Since officially attending in 03/2018, UEH has recorded impressive achievements in upgrading university learning quality.

The aims of the Erasmus Plus JEUL project are to set up and develop long-lasting cooperation between universities and businesses/companies in the private sector, to impact the operation of universities, resulting in: adjusting their training programs, promoting their teaching and learning methodology, supporting students to be able to acquire knowledge and skills matching better businesses and the labor market.

Erasmus Plus JEUL Project includes 09 partners, which are 05 European Universities, 02 Vietnamese Universities, and 02 Chinese Universities. In accordance with  the plan, the conducting duration of the Erasmus Plus Project is 3 years, starting to be implemented in January 2018 and ending in December 2020. However, because of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has been expanded to December 2021, in which the amount of money subsidizing UEH is 127293 EUR.

JEUL – Erasmus Project deploys 05 work packages, including:

1. Establishing collaborations between universities and businesses.
2. Identifying the shortage of skills, knowledge and applying necessary skills and knowledge to learning.
3. Developing and perfecting case studies applied to learning.
4. Developing learning handouts on online learning systems for business startups.
5. Receiving the finance provided for purchasing facilities for Simulation Centers serving training.

School of Banking, UEH College of Business and University of Kent are responsible for moderating mainly Work Package 3 – Developing and Perfecting case studies applied to learning. In terms of the remaining work, UEH participates as a member, carrying out tasks assigned by moderators and the project management board. In accordance with the commitment, UEH will sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with businesses, survey businesses on their student-hiring demands and requirements, evolving online learning systems and developing syllabi associated with businesses.

A photo related to the conference starting up the project at Siena University in February 2018

UEH journey and imprint at Erasmus Plus JEUL

Being one of the official members of the project, UEH has made remarkable efforts and achievements during the participating time since the beginning of this year.

Establishing collaborations between universities and businesses

In March 2018, UEH appointed 4 lecturers of UEH School of Banking to join the “University – Industry Links” conference-affiliated between universities and businesses, organized at Nanjing University of Aeronautics (NUAA) China. At this conference, lecturers of partner universities visited businesses cooperating with NUAA, exchanged their experience of collaborating with enterprises, and exchanged training programs towards business startups.

A photo of the UEH team participating in the “University – Industry Links” Conference at NUAA University, Nanjing on 26^th-29^th March 2018

Based on experiences shared by member universities of the conference, UEH School of Banking – UEH College of Business promoted cooperations with enterprises, particularly with banks, securities companies, investment funds, and other financial institutions in diverse activities. Focused affiliation activities are comprised of: providing ideas of hiring units regarding demands of the labor market (knowledge, skill, and attitude requirements of graduates), therefore, adjusting the syllabi associated theoretical foundations with practical activities, and applied research; promoting sponsorship in terms of finance and specializations for students’ academic clubs (Securities Club of University of Economics SCUE, Academic Club of Banking); subsidizing students’ social movements as well as collaborations between securities companies and other financial institutions for charity activities.

Especially, School of Banking signed an MOU, MOA with more than 10 banks, securities companies in student-training affiliation in the business semester. 50% of students of UEH School of Banking enrolled in the Business Semester at banks, securities companies, and other companies under “potential interns” and “training staff” titles, experiencing almost all work of a banker, an employee, and being able to earn salaries.

Besides, all students of UEH School of Banking are welcome to attend Field Trip at banks, securities companies, and other enterprises, to study in Training Centers of enterprises, to be trained working skills, and to be assigned case studies. In addition, this School has organized Company tours, Bank open tours for students to learn, see reality, and resolve the case studies given by the banks. Moreover, this School invited experts entitled PhD and working at Commercial Banks and Dragon Capital funds to involve in contributing to modifying the syllabi of the School. Thanks to evolving cooperations with enterprises, students’ academic clubs are also regarded for sponsorship.

In terms of Erasmus Plus JEUL project framework, UEH needs to contribute to Project 5 case studies. Lecturers of the School went to enterprises/businesses to work and invite them to attend and rasing opinions to build and complete these 5 case studies.

Identifying the shortage of knowledge, skills and applying necessary knowledge, skills to learning

To identify the shortage of knowledge, skills, and innovation necessity regarding the syllabi according to market demands. The project requires Vietnamese and Chinese universities to survey businesses’ and students’ opinions. With the finance of Erasmus JEUL, the School of Banking implemented a survey of 200 enterprises on their demands and student-hiring requirements, simultaneously 1,200 students on internships at the enterprises.

The result given by UEH is analyzed and appreciated at conferences of the project, being a foundation for European Universities to support, giving examples about the development of the syllabi aiming to assist students and graduates to adapt greatly to the demands of businesses and the labor market. Vietnamese and Chinese institutions have changed their training programs and syllabi in order to fit the demands of businesses and the labor market.

Accordingly, the syllabi of the School of Banking are added with digital technology subjects listed as core banking, digital banking, banktech, fintech in banking, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. The contents of those subjects are in charge of UEH School of Banking as well as being more completed, and approaching reality.

A photo of UEH Group attending the conference on training program associated with practicality at SkodaAuto University, the Czech Republic on 27^th – 31^st May 2019

Developing and using case studies in learning

On 19^th – 22^nd November 2018, UEH held the international conference “Roles of Case Study in Effective Teaching and Learning” successfully. The conference received the participation of 42 lecturers from partner universities inner and outer the project.

After the conference at UEH, Vietnamese and Chinese lecturers wrote a case study reporting in the following conference at University of Kent, only UEH wrote 5 case studies including (1) Securities offering and training activities, (2) Strategy formation and communication within an organization, (3) Detecting Symptoms and Developing Initial Cause Effect Map – PwC Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City Branch, (4) Treasury Management in Techcombank, (5) Harry and Sally financial plan. These case studies have been conducted and are going to be published in a textbook format to be widespread to educational institutions.

A photo related to the conference on case studies at University of Kent on 13^th-16^th May 2019

Developing teaching materials on the virtual learning environment (VLE)

Within the framework of Erasmus Plus JEUL project, European Universities, especially Vilnius University, supported Vietnamese and Chinese institutions in actual and virtual learning and teaching.

Attending the conference on online teaching at Vilnius University on 4-8/6/2018

With the online learning management system LMS built by UEH, all subjects of School of Banking have been taught on this platform. Along with that, thanks to pioneering in the trend of digital technology applied to the teaching of UEH since 2017, facing the Covid-19 pandemic, UEH in general and School of Banking in particular easily transformed from Hybrid Learning to completely offline learning. In addition, due to the digital technology platform and professional use of online teaching applications on almost every subject in banking and securities majors, UEH School invited specialists actually working at banks securities companies, other financial institutions, and foreign experts currently working in the member institutions of Erasmus Plus JEUL project to teach 30% of teaching duration of the courses.

Purchasing facilities for the offices of the project and of the simulation centers

With 52,520 Euro financed for Erasmus Plus project and the financial support for UEH, UEH constructed a SIMULATION CENTER with the aims of applying advanced teaching methodologies “bridging the gap between theory and the fact”, which help students adapt quickly to the technology environment in the field of Banking- Finance – Securities and lecturers to be able to teach and conduct their research on the basis of the database of the center.

This Simulation Center is used to simulate real transactions on virtual models. Recently, School of Banking has been using this Simulation Center to teach the subject “Core Banking”. This is an application simulating digital technology used in supplying services and managing banks, Furthermore, School of Banking affiliated with SSI Securities Corporation to use this teaching application in securities business, derivative-product business, and foreign currency business subjects.

UEH Simulation Center

Continuing achievements gained from the Erasmus Plus JEUL project, School of Banking with its reliability to its partners in the process of carrying out the project exchanged and signed two new projects on student and lecturer exchange with two member institutions, which are Vilnius University, Skoda Auto University, and University of Siena – Italy.

A photo related to MOU Signing Ceremony between UEH and Vilnius University on 22^nd November 2018

A photo related to MOU Signing Ceremony between UEH and Skoda Auto University on 22^nd  November 2018

Under the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the progress of Erasmus Plus JEUL is affected, all activities of the project listed as the annual ceremonies, conferences, exchanges, and reports are all conducted online. UEH, with the role of an official member, has been contributing remarkably to developing and accomplishing the project, simultaneously, bringing outstanding achievements in the teaching and research of UEH.

Further information can be found on the website publicizing the project:

News, photos: School of Banking, Department of Communication and Marketing