On April 24, 2025, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) held its 11th University Council Meeting, bringing together members from Vietnam and France to discuss strategic priorities for the university’s future development.
The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, with the French council members participating online and the Vietnamese members attending in person at the USTH campus.
Among the distinguished participants were Prof. Chu Hoàng Hà, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), and Chairman of the University Council; Mr. Donato Giorgi, Head of the Europe and International Division, French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and Vice Chairman of the University Council; Assoc. Prof. Ha Quy Quynh – Head of the Department of Organization – Personnel and Inspection (VAST); Prof. Jean-Paul Deroin, President of the USTH Consortium; along with representatives from the French Embassy in Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the Conference of Directors of French Engineering Schools (CDEFI), France Universités (formerly CPU), research institutes under VAST, and enterprises including Airbus, Vietnam Airlines, NEWTATCO, and pharmaceutical enterprises from France.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Chu Hoang Ha reaffirmed USTH’s position as a university built on the foundation of academic excellence, dedicated to training high-quality human resources in science and technology under the framework of the intergovernmental agreement between Vietnam and France. After 15 years of development, USTH has made significant achievements in training, scientific research, international cooperation, and governance. Particularly, in 2024, USTH was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister of Vietnam on the occasion of its 15th anniversary (December 9, 2009 – December 9, 2024).
Prof. Chu Hoang Ha emphasized that, in the context of Vietnam’s push for digital transformation and sustainable development goals, USTH must continue to assert its role in providing a highly skilled scientific and technological workforce, which is capable of meeting the demands of Industry 4.0. He also expressed his expectation that the University Council would continue providing strategic guidance, fostering sustainable growth, and promoting USTH’s global integration. On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha officially introduced Mr. Donato Giorgi, the newly appointed Vice Chairman of the University Council — an experienced expert in aerospace and international cooperation, currently serving as Head of the Europe and International Division at the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
In his address to the Council, Mr. Donato Giorgi expressed his honor in taking on this important role and pledged his best efforts to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him. He emphasized USTH’s important role in the strategic partnership between French and Vietnamese universities in higher education and scientific research. He noted that, with its international prestige, outstanding training quality, strong collaborative network, and the support of the Vietnamese government, USTH possesses all the conditions necessary to become an excellent center for training and scientific research, serving national development in a new era. He reaffirmed the commitment of French higher education and research institutions, including IRD and CNES, would continue to support and expand cooperation with USTH, strengthening resources and academic assistance to help shape the university into a flagship model of Franco–Vietnamese educational and research collaboration in this age of innovation and global integration.
Representing the French Embassy in Vietnam, Mr. Denis Fourmeau, Attaché for Scientific and Academic Cooperation, extended congratulations to USTH for its achievements over 15 years of establishment and development, especially for becoming one of the few higher education institutions in Vietnam to meet the international accreditation standards of France’s High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES). He praised USTH’s dual-rector governance model as a successful example of bilateral educational cooperation.
In light of Vietnam’s recently issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, he emphasized France’s readiness to continue supporting Vietnam in achieving its ambitious development goals. He also stressed that the ongoing validity of the intergovernmental agreement on USTH’s development would serve as an essential legal framework for French universities and research institutions to strengthen partnerships with USTH in upcoming years.
On behalf of the USTH Rector Board, Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest – Principal Rector, and Prof. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh – Rector, presented the university’s 2024 activity report, highlighting key achievements in training, research, and international cooperation.
In terms of training, USTH completed successful its admissions for the academic year 2024-2025 at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels. There was significant growth in enrollment across all levels, with Bachelor’s programs up by 24%, Master’s by 2.6%, and Doctoral programs experiencing a 50% increase. 2024 also marked the launch of USTH’s first intake for the Bachelor’s program in Semiconductor and ICs Technology and the Master’s program in Food Safety and Quality Assurance.
The university tightened cooperation with French universities to implement double degree programs. At the Bachelor’s level, USTH has signed the MoUs with 08 French universities to conduct 03 double degree programs in Chemistry, Biotechnology – Drug Development, and Information & Communication Technology. At the Master’s level, USTH collaborates with 30 universities and research institutions within the USTH Consortium to jointly offer 05 double degree programs.
In terms of research, USTH’s lecturers and researchers published 91 SCI-E scientific papers, achieving an average productivity of 1.1 SCI-E publications per lecturer. Especially, the publication “The teleconnection of the two types of ENSO and Indian Ocean Dipole on Southeast Asian autumn rainfall anomalies”, published in Climate Dynamics by Dr. Nguyen Le Dung et al. from the Department of Space and Applications, was recognized by VAST as one of the year’s outstanding papers in Earth Sciences.
USTH also successfully organized numerous international scientific conferences, workshops, and seminars, attracting the participation of domestic and international scientists.
Regarding international cooperation, USTH signed 32 collaboration agreements and MoUs in 2024, including 25 with international partners, 07 with domestic partners, and 04 with industry partners. These agreements open new opportunities for academic exchange, research collaboration, and internship for its lecturers, researchers, and students.
2024 marked USTH’s 15th anniversary, a milestone highlighted by many accomplishments, including receiving a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister of Vietnam, ranking 7th in the 2025 Vietnam University Rankings (VNUR), receiving a Certificate of Merit from the President of VAST, and officially becoming a member of France Universités — the association of France’s leading universities.
These achievements have affirmed the position of USTH’s training, scientific research, and international cooperation within Vietnam’s higher education system and the international academic community.
During the meeting, the University Council engaged in productive discussions and approved many essential proposals for the future development of USTH.
The University Council endorsed the reappointment of Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest as Principal Rector, recognizing his outstanding contributions to USTH’s growth over the past term and reaffirming confidence in his leadership in the upcoming term.
The Council also approved the proposal to launch a Master’s program in Applied Mathematics. Established based on the training strengths of VAST and the support of French partners, the program aims to develop high-quality professionals in applied mathematics for the finance and banking sectors.
In addition, policies to attract and develop highly qualified lecturers/ researchers received unanimous approval from the Council, with an emphasis on talent acquisition and capacity enhancement for USTH’s teaching and research.
The Council also agreed to issue new regulations on the management and implementation of applied research projects, focusing on developing practical scientific and technological products to serve Vietnam’s socio-economic development needs.
The successful conclusion of the 11th University Council Meeting has laid a solid foundation for USTH’s future growth, reinforcing its role as a symbol of the strong and enduring Vietnam–France partnership and contributing actively to the advancement of Vietnam’s education and science-technology sectors in the new era.
Some moments of the meeting:
