On the afternoon of November 14, the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC), in coordination with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) and the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS), organized the "Scientific Conference on Attracting and Utilizing Talent in the Fields of Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence."
Attending the conference were Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Truong Minh Huy Vu, along with representatives from departments, sectors, research institutes, universities, and enterprises in the financial technology sector.
At the conference, Associate Professor Nguyen Huu Huan, Vice Chairman of the VIFC-HCMC Executive Agency, stated that after nearly one year of operating VIFC-HCMC, several human resource gaps have been identified. In Vietnam, the concept of an international financial center remains relatively new, so most universities have not yet updated relevant curricula.
Despite ongoing workforce development efforts, only a limited number of employees possess international professional certifications.
Associate Professor Nguyen Huu Huan emphasized that human resources play an extremely important role in building the Vietnam International Financial Center. Without a workforce meeting international standards, it will be very difficult to compete with global international financial centers. Therefore, developing high-quality human resources is a key orientation of VIFC-HCMC, particularly in its initial phase.
At the event, several speakers approached the human resource issue from three perspectives: connecting universities with enterprises; the demand for financial technology (fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) talent alongside enterprise-driven training; and international experience in human resource development.
According to Associate Professor Bui Quang Hung, President of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, the city is entering a talent competition with regional international financial centers.
Consequently, higher education institutions need to make major shifts, including sharing resources, transitioning toward interdisciplinary training, and promoting lifelong learning.
Within the framework of the conference, VIFC-HCMC launched the VIFC Academy. The academy serves to connect stakeholders and help identify workforce needs as a foundation for developing appropriate training, coaching, and research programs.
For the 2026-2030 period, the VIFC Academy will focus on three primary functions: internal training to build capacity for staff within the Executive Agency; external training for members, organizations, investors, and future human resources; and research and consulting to provide scientific arguments and solutions supporting the center's development and operation.
