Symposium: "Co-creating a Sustainable UEH Alumni Mekong Ecosystem: Connecting Knowledge - Converging Resources – Disseminating Values for Regional Development"

31 May, 2026

Continuing the spirit of connecting the alumnus community, which has been spread through UEH Alumni activities nationwide, particularly the milestone of the UEH Alumni Day Khanh Hoa 2026 in the South Central Coast – Central Highlands region, on May 30, 2026, UEH Mekong, in coordination with the UEH Alumni Executive Board, organized a Symposium under the theme "Co-creating a Sustainable UEH Alumni Mekong Ecosystem" at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long Campus (UEH Mekong).

The event served as a forum for generations of alumni, students, lecturers, businesses, and partners to share visions and propose solutions aimed at connecting knowledge, converging resources, disseminating community values, and promoting the role of the UEH Alumni network in the development of the Mekong Delta region. This is also one of the meaningful activities towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment and development of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), affirming the spirit of companionship and contribution of the alumnus community to the sustainable development of the University and society.

Panoramic view of the symposium

Attending the symposium were alumni working in various agencies and units: Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Provincial Party Committee Member, Chief of Office of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Le Thi Hong Linh - Deputy Director of Vinh Long Tax Department; Mr. Nguyen Tan Thu - Chairman of the Vinh Long Young Businesspeople Association, Head of the UEH Alumni Vinh Long Liaison Board (2024-2029); Lawyer Truong Thi Minh Huong - Deputy Director of Nhat Ly Law Firm Limited Liability Company; Mr. Lam Nguyen Duy Anh - Director of Saigon - Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB), Vinh Long Branch; and Ms. Hoang Thi Tra Huong - CEO and Founder of Bizgenie Solutions & Technology Joint Stock Company.

On the side of UEH, attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung - UEH President; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet - Chairwoman of the UEH Alumni Executive Board; M.A. Phan Ngoc Anh - Deputy Head of the Department of Communications and Partnerships and General Secretary of UEH Alumni; Dr. Nguyen Thi Thy Lieu - Director of UEH Mekong; distinguished lecturers who are leaders of various units under UEH Mekong; distinguished lecturers and staff of UEH Mekong; along with the participation of UEH alumni from different periods in Vinh Long province and other provinces in the Mekong Delta.

In his opening speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr Bui Quang Hung - UEH President emphasized: "In this space connecting alumni, lecturers, partners, and businesses, we hope for a symposium on co-creating a sustainable UEH Alumni Mekong ecosystem, taking place in a cordial atmosphere, yet exchanging and retaining many practical contributions for a stronger UEH Mekong and for the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta region." During the keynote session on the development orientation for the UEH Alumni ecosystem for the 2026-2030 period, he stated that "with over 280,000 alumni across the entire system, UEH identifies Alumni not only as a connecting network but also as a crucial resource contributing to enhancing the quality of training and research, and disseminating the University's values. According to the new orientation, UEH Alumni is considered the 'fifth pillar' in the university ecosystem, playing the role of brand ambassadors, a bridge between the University and businesses, localities, and the community. Particularly in the Mekong region, the Alumni community is expected to contribute to creating local identity, promoting green transition, innovation, and retaining high-quality human resources for the region."

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Quang Hung shared the Alumni ecosystem development orientation based on five pillars: Gratitude, Growth, Co-creation, Contribution, and Impact. Through activities such as mentoring, career networking, startup support, knowledge sharing, and lifelong learning, Alumni will accompany the University in training new generations of students, while creating practical value for society. The overarching message emphasized is: The strength of the Alumni community lies not in numbers, but in the level of engagement, the ability to create development opportunities, and the value of contributions. In the coming period, UEH aims to build a sustainable Alumni ecosystem where the University - Alumni - Students connect and accompany each other, contributing to creating positive values for the community and society.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Bui Quang Hung - UEH President, delivering the opening speech and sharing at the symposium

At the symposium, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Provincial Party Committee Member, Chief of Office of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee, and member of the Vinh Long Alumni Liaison Board, shared a presentation titled "Co-creating a Sustainable UEH Alumni Mekong Ecosystem." He emphasized, "UEH Alumni Mekong is not only connecting alumni but is also creating a knowledge network accompanying Vinh Long and the Mekong region in the journey of digital transformation, green growth, and sustainable development."

To realize this goal, he proposed several key solutions such as: building the UEH Alumni Mekong ecosystem based on the spirit of "Connection - Companionship - Sharing - Sustainable Development"; forming an "Alumni leading Alumni" network through connection groups based on professional fields, symposium programs, career orientation, student counseling, and sharing governance experience; strengthening the role of the Alumni community in accompanying local development through activities such as consulting on digital transformation, supporting startups, developing OCOP products, connecting agricultural product consumption, and promoting green economy and circular economy models. Additionally, he proposed establishing a Mekong Initiative and Startup Support Fund with the participation of an advisory network and investors who are Alumni, while building a culture for the UEH Alumni Mekong community through annual activities such as Mekong Alumni Day, Business Connection Journeys, Regional Development Forums, as well as scholarship, charity, and social security programs.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Provincial Party Committee Member, Chief of Office of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee, and UEH alumnus, presenting a paper

Continuing the program, Mr. Nguyen Tan Thu - Chairman of the Vinh Long Young Businesspeople Association, Head of the UEH Alumni Vinh Long Liaison Board, stated: Based on the high-quality training foundation of UEH, generations of alumni have affirmed their positions in many fields, contributing to socio-economic development. He also affirmed that UEH alumni play a leading role through mentoring, career connections, and supporting students to access real-world practice, practice skills, and generate early income.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Thu - Chairman of the Vinh Long Young Businesspeople Association, Head of the UEH Alumni Vinh Long Liaison Board, presenting a paper

Reporting at the symposium with the content "From Learner to Companion: The Role of Alumni Lecturers and Staff in Building the UEH Mekong Community," MSc. Nguyen Trung Tien - Secretary of the Youth Union, Deputy Head in charge of the Economics subject group, Faculty of Business and Management, also proposed several practical solutions for the activities of UEH Alumni Mekong. These include promoting community development activities for UEH Alumni Mekong to enhance connections between alumni, the university, and businesses through the "Alumni Mentoring & Career Connection" program with a model of career counseling, skill support, internship and job connection for students; and the "Alumni Mekong Networking Day" event combined with annual sports activities to expand the network, promote exchange, mobilize scholarship sponsorship, and enhance the image of UEH Mekong. These activities aim to build a connected, practical, and sustainable alumni ecosystem in the region.

M.A. Nguyen Trung Tien - Secretary of the Youth Union, Deputy Head in charge of the Economics subject group, Faculty of Business and Management, presenting a paper titled "Proposing Activities for UEH Alumni Mekong"

MSc. Doan Thi Thanh Hoa - Deputy Head in charge of the Finance - Banking subject group, Faculty of Finance - Accounting, also proposed several solutions for the UEH Alumni community to truly become an effective connecting force between UEH Mekong and the business ecosystem in the Mekong Delta region through activities such as field trips, career experience, and mentoring. Alumni also support the building of a business network, provide recruitment information, participate in teaching, sponsor, and accompany training. The "Alumni - University - Business" model is expected to create a sustainable ecosystem, meet human resource needs, and promote the development of the Mekong Delta region.

MSc. Doan Thi Thanh Hoa - Acting Deputy Head the Finance - Banking subject group, Faculty of Finance - Accounting, presenting a paper titled "UEH Mekong Alumni Community: Disseminating Knowledge Values for Sustainable Development"

At the symposium, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thy Lieu - Director of UEH Mekong, also presented the plan for UEH Alumni Day in Vinh Long, scheduled to be organized in September 2026 at UEH Mekong. This is a key event to implement the UEH Alumni strategy for the 2026-2030 period, towards the 50th anniversary of UEH's establishment and development. The event selects Vinh Long as the center for dissemination, aiming to build a sustainable Mekong Alumni ecosystem, closely connecting the university, businesses, and local community.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thy Lieu - Director of UEH Mekong, presenting the plan for UEH Alumni Day in Vinh Long, expected to take place in September 2026

Assoc. Prof. Dr Phan Thi Bich Nguyet and Dr. Nguyen Thi Thy Lieu chairing the discussion session at the symposium

Alumni sharing opinions at the symposium

Following the discussion, M.A. Phan Ngoc Anh - Deputy Head of the Department of Communications and Partnerships and General Secretary of UEH Alumni, shared about the digital space and guided the alumni brothers and sisters to register as UEH Alumni members at the website https://alumni.ueh.edu.vn/.

M.A. Phan Ngoc Anh sharing about the UEH Alumni digital space, introducing the UEH Alumni E-Member Card on the UEH Alumni Platform - a tool to connect generations of alumni in the journey of continuing to "give & receive" value with the University

Concluding the discussion, Associate Professor Dr. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet emphasized the spirit of building the UEH Alumni community on a foundation of voluntariness, connection, and mutual development. The Associate Professor expressed her hope that each alumnus would continue to spread the pride of UEH, join hands to contribute and connect to build an increasingly strong alumnus community, thereby creating sustainable values that preceding generations offer to subsequent generations of students.

In his closing speech, Associate Professor Dr. Bui Quang Hung emphasized the core values that define the identity of the UEH Alumni Mekong community, crystallized in five words: Pride - being proud to be a UEH alumnus, reflected in the process of learning, working, and dedicating. Co-creation mindset - cooperating, sharing knowledge and resources to solve practical problems. Interaction - enhancing connection through technology and data, expanding networks, and improving the efficiency of community activities. Practicality - stemming from practical needs, creating tangible values for individuals, organizations, and society. Summary - regularly evaluating results, learning from experience, and orienting activities for the sustainable development of the Mekong Alumni system. These five values are not only action guidelines but also the foundation for building a cohesive, sustainably developing UEH Alumni Mekong community that disseminates positive values to the community and society.