The University of Osaka hosts the 4th Japan–Vietnam University Presidents’ Conference (October 8–9, 2026)

Overview

The 4th Japan–Vietnam University Presidents’ Conference was held on October 8 and 9, 2026, at the University of Osaka’s (UOsaka) Suita campus. UOsaka and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) co-hosted the conference in cooperation with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), along with the support of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Osaka Prefecture, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Kansai Economic Federation. Approximately 250 participants attended, representing 30 Japanese universities, 36 Vietnamese universities, and multiple government agencies and other organizations from both countries.

Following the keynote speeches, participants explored opportunities for university-to-university and university–industry–government collaboration through discussions held in two parallel sessions, focusing on developing highly skilled talent and advancing international joint research. Discussions also addressed approaches and initiatives to substantially expand collaboration networks between the two countries. There were also luncheon seminars hosted by two sponsoring companies in addition to information sessions delivered by participating governmental organizations that introduced examples of current university–industry–government collaboration.

Background and Objectives

Originally established to promote academic and educational collaboration between universities in Japan and Vietnam, the inaugural conference was held in Hanoi in 2009. This was followed by conferences in Kyoto in 2012 and Da Nang in 2015. Between 2015 and 2026, the conference faced an 11-year hiatus, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the theme “Achievements and Future Vision of Japan–Vietnam Academic Collaboration,” participants in this year’s conference reviewed the achievements of past academic partnerships and discussed potential future directions for developing highly skilled talent, advancing international joint research, and strengthening university–industry–government collaboration.

Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speeches

The opening ceremony began with remarks by Prof. KUMANOGOH Atsushi, President of UOsaka, and Prof. LE Anh Tuan, President of HUST. These were followed by guest addresses from H.E. Prof. LE Quan, Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam; H.E. Mr. PHAM Quang Hieu, Ambassador of Vietnam to Japan; Mr. MOCHIZUKI Tadashi, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination at MEXT; and Dr. HASHIMOTO Kazuhito, President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Expectations that the conference would be a valuable opportunity to lead to stronger and broader academic collaboration between Japan and Vietnam were shared among the speakers. This includes expectations for the continued development of highly skilled talent who can contribute to both countries’ development.

In the keynote speeches, Assoc. Prof. NGUYEN Anh Dung, Deputy Director General of MOET’s Higher Education Department, spoke about building innovation ecosystems through international collaboration. Prof. FUJII Hidetoshi, Director of the Joining and Welding Research Institute and the Lunar City Development Research Center at UOsaka, then introduced cutting-edge research on new technologies for producing oxygen on the Moon and a range of novel 3D printing technologies. Mr. OZASA Haruhiko, Chief Representative of JETRO’s Hanoi Office, spoke about how highly skilled talent can strengthen Japan-Vietnam partnerships.

Parallel Session Discussions

On the afternoon of the first day, discussion sessions held in parallel addressed two themes: “University-to-University Collaboration for Global Talent Development and Social Impact Creation” and “University–Industry–Government Collaboration between Japan and Vietnam to Foster Innovation Ecosystems.”

The former was co-chaired by Prof. SUGIYAMA Naoshi, President of Nagoya University, and Prof. LE Anh Tuan, President of HUST while the latter was co-chaired by Dr. OGAWA Hisao, President of Kumamoto University, and Assoc. Prof. NGUYEN Anh Dung, Deputy Director General of MOET’s Higher Education Department.

For the university-to-university collaboration discussion, case presentations on Japan–Vietnam collaboration were delivered by Prof. HAYASHI Kaori, Executive Vice President of the University of Tokyo, and Prof. CHU Duc Trinh, Rector of the University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-UET). With the university-industry-government collaboration theme, Prof. KUROKI Shin-ichiro of Hiroshima University and Assoc. Prof. BUI Quang Hung, President of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, presented their respective initiatives. Participants then exchanged views in small groups, deepening their discussions on opportunities for the future in relation to the themes.

After the parallel sessions on the first day, there was a plenary session held on the second day. Here Vice President SUTO Yoshiyuki of Nagoya University, Dr. OGAWA Hisao, President of Kumamoto University, and Vice President NGUYEN Phong Dien of HUST reported on the previous day’s discussions. They shared the views expressed and future challenges identified in the parallel sessions, covering university-to-university collaboration for global talent development and contributions to society, as well as university–industry–government collaboration to foster innovation.

Luncheon Seminars, Individual Meetings, and Information Sessions

During the first day, two sponsoring companies, TOA Industries Co., Ltd. and IHI Infrastructure Asia Co., Ltd. hosted luncheon seminars. They introduced university–industry initiatives focused on recruiting highly skilled talent from Vietnam and improving welding technologies. The presentations prompted numerous questions and lively dialogue with participants.

Following the parallel sessions, individual meetings involving universities and other organizations, together with information sessions delivered by JETRO, JICA, and Osaka Prefecture, provided further opportunities to explore new university-to-university and university–industry–government partnerships.

Conclusion

The conference brought together university leaders and representatives responsible for international collaboration from Japan and Vietnam. It provided a valuable opportunity to share and review the achievements of diverse partnerships, while acting as a catalyst for further university-to-university and university–industry–government collaboration to develop highly skilled talent and advance international joint research and substantially expand the capacity for teamwork between the two countries.