11.4.3. Allowing Remote Working
The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) implements a policy allowing eligible personnel to work remotely under Regulation No. 2041/QyĐ-ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 25 August 2021 and Notice No. 1682/ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 6 October 2021 on employment arrangements and policies for remote-working personnel. Implemented since 2022, this arrangement allows full-time employees and staff members to continue teaching and research duties when relocating abroad to live and work, subject to UEH approval. The policy specifies eligibility and approval requirements, work plans, reporting obligations, contracts, and employee entitlements, together with procedures for administration, assessment, and contract execution through Smart Office.
In 2025, UEH continued to make its remote-working arrangements publicly available and maintain online academic collaboration methods, enabling personnel to fulfil duties from different locations, supporting professional connectivity and reducing unnecessary travel, in line with SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
1. Policy and procedures for allowing UEH personnel to work remotely
UEH implements remote working under Regulation No. 2041/QyĐ-ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 25 August 2021 and Notice No. 1682/ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 6 October 2021, with the aim of retaining the contributions of highly qualified personnel, enabling flexible work arrangements and strengthening international academic connections. According to the guidance published on the UEH Support Portal, this arrangement has been applied since 2022.
Eligible personnel and conditions: Under Articles 1 and 2 of Regulation 2041, the policy applies to full-time employees and staff members engaged in teaching and/or research who wish to relocate abroad to live and work, seek to continue contributing to UEH, and receive University approval. Requests to work remotely are considered based on the employee’s application and the needs of their directly managing unit.
Work plans and professional duties: Under Article 4, remote-working personnel must prepare a 12-month work plan endorsed by the head of their directly managing unit. The plan specifies committed workloads, including at least 50% of the standard teaching-hour workload and 50% of the required scientific research workload, as stipulated; it also sets out the scope and schedule of in-person or online teaching, scientific research, supervision of postgraduate and doctoral students, international collaboration and other relevant professional duties.
Monitoring and evaluation: Personnel must submit progress and performance reports every six months, endorsed by the head of their directly managing unit. The human resources management unit coordinates with relevant units to consolidate reports, evaluate task performance, and submit recommendations to the University Board of Directors for consideration of continued remote-working arrangements.
Contracts and entitlements: Under Article 5, remote-working arrangements are formalised in an employment contract. Notice 1682/ĐHKT-QTNNL specifies that participating personnel receive the applicable state-regulated salary, may be considered for salary-grade advancement when eligible, and receive remuneration for teaching and research exceeding their committed workload.
Implementation procedures: The UEH Support Portal publishes the steps for receiving applications and remote-work plans, reviewing documentation, evaluating outcomes, submitting requests for approval, and signing contracts or contract addenda through Smart Office. Signed documents are forwarded to personnel, their directly managing units and relevant departments for coordinated monitoring and retention in accordance with regulations.
Through this framework of policies, contracts and personnel-management procedures, UEH provides a means for suitable duties to be performed outside campus rather than requiring all teaching and research activities to take place at a fixed location.
In addition to eligibility requirements and entitlements, UEH has established an annual remote-work management mechanism. Under the University’s published procedures, the Department of Organisational and Human Resources Development works with academic units to review and compile annual lists of remote-working personnel; receive performance reports and work plans for the following year; and cross-check professional data before submitting recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding continuation of the arrangements. Following approval, employment contracts or addenda are processed through Smart Office and distributed to the relevant units for coordinated supervision. This procedure demonstrates that remote working is a routinely administered personnel arrangement at UEH, rather than merely the use of online communication for individual events.
UEH – Regulation No. 2041/QyĐ-ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 25 August 2021 on remote-working personnel and Notice No. 1682/ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 6 October 2021 on applicable arrangements and policies:
https://ueh.edu.vn/images/upload/editer/2041_Quy%20%C4%91%E1%BB%8Bnh%20v%E1%BB%81%20nh%C3%A2n%20s%E1%BB%B1%20l%C3%A0m%20vi%E1%BB%87c%20t%E1%BB%AB%20xa%20thu%E1%BB%99c%20Tr%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dng%20%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i%20h%E1%BB%8Dc%20Kinh%20t%E1%BA%BF%20TP.%20H%E1%BB%93%20Ch%C3%AD%20Minh%20%28kem%20thong%20bao%20che%20do%29.pdf
Source for the publicly available operating procedure: UEH Support Portal, Procedure for Signing Remote-Work Contracts:
https://hotro.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/thu-tuc-ky-hop-dong-lam-viec-tu-xa-13043
Regulation No. 2041/QyĐ-ĐHKT-QTNNL dated 25 August 2021 on remote-working personnel
2. Digital infrastructure and professional collaboration methods supporting remote working
In addition to its personnel policy, UEH maintains technology platforms that support communication, coordination and professional activities from multiple locations. Smart Office supports the processing, signing and archiving of documents; Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and hybrid classrooms facilitate online teaching, meetings, research and academic connections.
Decision No. 2746/QĐ-ĐHKT-KHĐTKT dated 25 July 2024 regulates blended online training at UEH, enabling teaching and learning to be organised in person, online or in hybrid formats. This provides related professional support for duties performed remotely, but is distinct from Regulation 2041 governing the employment arrangement for remote-working personnel.
In 2025, UEH continued to use these communication methods for academic and professional activities across campuses, facilitating exchanges among lecturers, researchers and partners in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long and other locations.
Notably, the International Conference on Business and Finance (ICBF 2025), held on 1–2 December 2025 in a hybrid format, featured nearly 100 research papers selected for presentation across 29 parallel sessions and eight plenary sessions. This activity demonstrates the ability to maintain academic connections without requiring all participants to attend in person. It is evidence of infrastructure supporting flexible work, while Regulation 2041 and the personnel procedures remain the direct basis for demonstrating employees’ entitlement to remote-working arrangements.
| Programme name | Format | Description | Results |
| International Conference on Business and Finance – ICBF 2025 | Hybrid | Held on 1–2 December 2025, the conference combined in-person sessions at UEH with online participation, connecting lecturers, experts and researchers from Vietnam and abroad. Topics included economics, finance, management, digital technology, ESG and sustainable development. The hybrid format supported academic exchanges across locations without requiring everyone to attend at the same venue.
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More than 200 research papers were submitted, nearly 100 were selected for presentation, with 29 parallel sessions and eight plenary sessions. UEH confirmed the hybrid format. https://www.ueh.edu.vn/khoa-hoc/ket-noi-mang-luoi-hoc-thuat-toan-cau-va-dinh-hinh-tuong-lai-ben-vung-tai-icbf-2025-75488 |
| National Conference on Technology and Design – NCTD 2025 | Online – Microsoft Teams | The conference was announced for 30–31 October 2025 at UEH Campus B in Ho Chi Minh City and UEH Mekong in Vinh Long, combining in-person and online participation. Topics included artificial intelligence, digital technology, design, innovation and digital transformation.  |
Nearly 200 delegates were expected, with three plenary and 11 thematic sessions in Ho Chi Minh City, and four plenary and five parallel sessions at UEH Mekong. https://ueh.edu.vn/su-kien/hoi-thao-khoa-hoc-quoc-gia-ve-cong-nghe-va-thiet-ke-2025-kien-tao-tuong-lai-so-75147 |
| Online Enrolment Consultation Programme for Cohort 51 – Full-time Undergraduate Programme, 2025 | Online – Zoom | UEH provided consultations on enrolment procedures, academic programmes, scholarships, tuition fees and student support services via Microsoft Teams, while also offering assistance by telephone, email and social media. This enabled advising staff and students to exchange information online without requiring applicants to visit campus solely for consultation.  |
https://tuyensinh.ueh.edu.vn/bai-viet/ueh-thong-bao-huong-dan-thu-tuc-nhap-hoc-khoa-51-dai-hoc-chinh-quy-nam-2025 |
| Academic Seminar “Are Students’ Goals, Grades and Fights Influenced by Friday Night Lights?” | Online – Zoom | Western Sydney Vietnam (UEH) announced a seminar presented by Dr. Doan Vu Nguyen, a lecturer in the School of Public Finance, on the relationship between school sports activities and academic outcomes.  |
Scheduled to take place online via Zoom on 24 October 2025. https://spf.ueh.edu.vn/seminar-are-students-goals-grades-and-fights-influenced-by-friday-night-lights/ |
3. Continuation of remote-working arrangements in 2025
UEH’s remote-working personnel policy was established in 2021, implemented from 2022 and continues to be publicly available through the University’s human resources procedures. It provides an arrangement for eligible employees and staff members to carry out teaching and research duties from abroad, subject to approval, contracts and predetermined work plans.
Unlike online academic programmes organised as individual events, UEH’s remote-working arrangements involve responsibility for completing assigned duties, performance evaluation, and periodic review of contract continuation. In 2025, digital platforms and online collaboration continued to support professional activities among campuses and partners. Maintaining both the employment arrangement and its supporting infrastructure provides a basis for suitable duties to be performed without requiring personnel to be regularly present on UEH campuses.
Conclusion
UEH maintains a policy allowing eligible employees and staff members to perform duties remotely under Regulation No. 2041/QyĐ-ĐHKT-QTNNL and Notice No. 1682/ĐHKT-QTNNL. The policy clearly sets out eligibility requirements, professional responsibilities, work plans, contractual arrangements, entitlements and periodic evaluation procedures, supported by the Smart Office personnel-management system.
In 2025, UEH continued to maintain online academic and administrative collaboration methods, supporting personnel in performing suitable duties from different locations. Combining a formal policy with management procedures and digital infrastructure helps reduce travel needs for work that can be performed remotely, in line with SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.