UEH Accompanies Ho Chi Minh City in Building and Operating the International Financial Center of Vietnam

28 Apr, 2026

In 2025, the International Financial Center of Vietnam (IFC) was officially established, marking a significant milestone in the country’s financial integration and development. In the process of establishing and operating the International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) has been recognized as a key academic institution, serving as a policy advisor, preparing human resources, and directly participating in the IFC’s management structure.

Participating in the Advisory and Policy Consultation Team for IFC HCM

From the early stages of developing the International Financial Center of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City (IFC HCMC), UEH was entrusted by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to join the advisory team for the establishment of IFC HCMC. As an academic institution, UEH provides policy consultation, contributes scientific knowledge, and connects academic and expert networks, both domestically and internationally, to support the Center’s development and operations.

Through research and advisory activities, UEH contributes to the design of the organizational model, operational mechanisms, governance, compliance, and supervision of an international financial center, ensuring alignment with international practices and Vietnam’s practical conditions. This is considered a crucial foundation for building IFC HCMC toward a modern, transparent, and sustainable model.

Expanding International Cooperation to Support IFC

In parallel with its policy advisory role, UEH actively expands international cooperation to prepare resources for the International Financial Center. In October 2025, UEH joined a Ho Chi Minh City delegation to the United States, working with leading academic, financial, and technology institutions, including Stanford University, NVIDIA Corporation, the NASDAQ Stock Exchange, and other international partners.

These engagements focused on developing a roadmap for high-quality human resource training for IFC, learning from the training, governance, and operational models of major financial centers worldwide, thereby gradually building a workforce capable of meeting the development requirements of IFC HCMC in the context of deep global integration.

Within these international cooperation efforts, UEH officially signed a strategic partnership with the New York Institute of Finance (NYIF), a prestigious financial training organization founded by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Through this collaboration, UEH implements specialized training programs to equip core IFC HCMC personnel with comprehensive knowledge of organizational structures, operational mechanisms, key activities, and the governance, compliance, and supervision frameworks of an international financial center.

These training programs also incorporate updates on relevant resolutions and regulations regarding the establishment and operation of the International Financial Center in Vietnam, as well as the “one center, two destinations” model in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, which features a streamlined organizational structure and preferential mechanisms. The first training program is designed for key officials of the City, including leaders at department and division levels within specialized agencies of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, as well as leaders of advisory and supporting bodies of the City Party Committee.

The working visit of the Ho Chi Minh City leadership delegation, led by the Chairman of the People’s Committee and joined by UEH, has promoted high-level international cooperation and prepared the roadmap for developing high-quality human resources for the IFC.

Training International-Standard Human Resources – A Sustainable Foundation for IF

In addition to specialized training programs directly serving the IFC, UEH has successfully implemented a human resource training project for the International Financial Center through the full-time bachelor’s program in Finance - Banking, with an international-standard orientation. This is the fifth component of the overall project on training internationally qualified human resources (across 08 disciplines) for the 2020-2035 period of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

The program is fully designed and delivered in English, emphasizing the integration of theory and practice to equip students with internationally benchmarked professional competencies and the ability to quickly adapt to the global financial market. To date, UEH has successfully trained two cohorts under this program, gradually building a young, high-quality workforce to serve IFC HCMC in the future.

UEH’s academic reputation in finance and banking continues to be affirmed, with its Finance discipline ranked among the Top 38 globally by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy 2024. This serves as an important foundation for UEH to take on a leading role in training internationally qualified financial human resources for the City.

Participation directly in the IFC HCMC Executive Apparatus

Beyond its roles in training and advisory, UEH also directly participates in the operation of the International Financial Center of Vietnam following its official establishment.

According to Decision No. 450/QĐ-UBND of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Huu Huan, Program Director of the Securities Market Program at the School of Banking, UEH, has been seconded to the IFC HCMC Executive Authority and appointed as its Vice Chairman. On December 22, 2025, UEH officially issued the secondment decision, clearly demonstrating the University’s long-term commitment to supporting the City’s and the nation’s key development strategies.

At the same time, UEH has officially become a member of IFC HCMC, alongside many reputable domestic and international partners. In addition to training human resources, UEH continues to participate in policy advisory, institutional consultation, and the development of internationally qualified financial and investment human resources for the City.

The conference announcing the establishment of the International Financial Center in Vietnam, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, was held in Hanoi on December 21, 2025

Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung - Interim President of UEH - presented the secondment decision to Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Huu Huan to participate in the operation of IFC HCMC.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City has been proactively preparing in a comprehensive manner for the operation of the International Financial Center, from institutional frameworks and infrastructure to human resources and a network of domestic and international partners. Notably, within this ecosystem, UEH is identified as a strategic academic partner, contributing to training, policy advisory, international connectivity, and participating in the operation of IFC HCMC.

“In the context of Vietnam entering a phase of deep financial integration, UEH’s partnership with Ho Chi Minh City in building and operating the International Financial Center is not only a milestone marking UEH’s role in a national strategic project, but also a testament to a university model that is closely aligned with the development of the city and the nation in the era of integration,” emphasized Assoc. Prof. Bui Quang Hung, Interim President of UEH.

News, photos: Department of Communications and Partnerships, Department of Training