In the 2025–2026 academic year, the International Bachelor of Engineering Program jointly offered by Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) welcomed its first intake of students with promising results, particularly in terms of student talent and potential. The opening ceremony for the inaugural cohort took place on September 17, 2025, marking the start of a high-quality, cross-border education program.
The ceremony was attended by Ms. Sarah Hooper, Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Leo Mian Liu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) UTS; Prof. Alaina Ammit, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research UTS; and Prof. Diep Nguyen, Director of Transnational Education UTS. From VNU-HCM, Dr. Nguyen Thai Binh Long, Deputy Head of External Relations and Project Development, joined the event. Representing HCMUT were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Tran Vu, Vice President, along with leaders of the faculties and departments. Many parents were also present to celebrate this milestone with the new students.
The program was launched at a time when Vietnam was undergoing a significant transformation in education and training. The Politburo’s Resolution 71-NQ/TW emphasizes the importance of adopting international standards, integrating data and AI, and promoting creativity in science, engineering, and strategic technologies. This direction is also central to HCMUT’s mission, with the UTS partnership seen as a flagship initiative. It is the first and only collaboration in Engineering and Technology between HCMUT and UTS, focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology. The program was jointly developed over two years with contributions from more than 200 professors and staff from both universities.
According to Prof. Diep Nguyen, while Vietnam is striving to place its universities among the world’s top 100, HCMUT students are already able to study UTS’s original curriculum—UTS itself ranks among the top 100 globally. The UTS Computer Science program is ranked 17th and its Artificial Intelligence program 5th worldwide by the 2025 US News University Rankings. With this foundation, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Leo Mian Liu reaffirmed UTS’s commitment to supporting students in becoming professionals and innovation leaders.
From curriculum and teaching materials to facilities and assessment standards, every aspect of the program follows UTS benchmarks, ensuring parity with UTS’s onshore programs. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Tran Vu emphasized that this alignment gives students a competitive advantage, helping them adapt quickly to both Vietnamese and international labor markets after graduation.
He also noted that admitted students demonstrated strong academic foundations, including foreign language skills. Top entrants excelled in school performance, SAT scores, and IELTS results. The valedictorian of the AI major, Nguyen Huu Nhan from Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted (Gia Lai Province), scored 98.91/100 with an IELTS 7.0. For the IT major, Le Huynh Tan Vu from Asia Pacific International School (Gia Lai Province) achieved an almost perfect 99.99/100 with IELTS 8.0.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tan Vu shared that his family considered two options: enrolling at HCMUT or pursuing studies abroad in Australia or Singapore. Seeking an international learning environment while staying close to home, he chose the International Bachelor of Engineering Program as the ideal fit. He expressed hope that, despite the challenges of being the first cohort, he and his peers will dedicate themselves to study and strive to become the best versions of themselves.
