The Conference of the Ho Chi Minh City Council of Rectors of Universities, hosted at Ton Duc Thang University, was themed “Promoting the Role of the Council in the Ho Chi Minh City Megacity Region: Connection – Integration – Innovation”. It brought together representatives from government departments, enterprises, and universities across the city.
During the conference, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology presented key contents of the Politburo’s Resolution 57-NQ/TW and updates on venture capital investment in science and technology. Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City shared solutions to foster an innovation ecosystem through regional collaboration with the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions, alongside strategies for developing laboratories, advanced centers, and high-quality human resources.
A representative of Ton Duc Thang University proposed a model for enhanced collaboration and resource sharing among universities to strengthen the council’s operational effectiveness.
Conference participants also discussed four main topics such as strategies for high-quality human resource training, development of a carbon credit trading platform, building an innovation ecosystem, and identifying emerging economic sectors to concretize Resolution 57.
Technology corporations joined discussions on developing potential economic sectors to drive sustainable growth, highlighting low-altitude economy development, semiconductors, microchips, UAVs, fin-tech, and artificial intelligence as breakthrough areas.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc stressed that Ho Chi Minh City stands at a strategic crossroads, as traditional growth drivers such as land, capital, and low-cost labor have reached their limits. To achieve breakthroughs, the city must shift toward a knowledge- and innovation-based growth model driven by science, technology, and high-quality human resources, which are the core engines of its next development phase.
He underscored that no city can achieve global competitiveness without a strong university system. Without active participation from scientists and genuine collaboration among government, universities, and businesses, strategic visions cannot be effectively translated into concrete actions or tangible growth.
Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, stressed that universities should stand at the heart of the city’s development. He added that they should go beyond simply carrying out policies, take the lead in generating knowledge and equipping the city with the talent and capability to turn ideas into action.
Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc identified two urgent priorities for the university system. First, universities must cultivate high-quality human resources—individuals who are not only experts in their fields but also possess global vision, technological competence, and a deep understanding of local contexts. Second, science and technology must be translated into real-world applications, ensuring that knowledge extends beyond theory to drive innovation in production, urban governance, healthcare, logistics, and finance.
As a megacity facing unprecedented challenges, Ho Chi Minh City, he concluded, needs the steadfast partnership of its universities to overcome obstacles and shape a sustainable future.
