UEH Youth Union and Student Association: Accompanying Learners on the Journey to Implement UEH's 17 Sustainable Development Goals

08 Feb, 2026

The year 2025 marked a breakthrough journey for the Youth Union and Student Association of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) in realizing its strategy of comprehensively integrating sustainable development goals into all activities. This continued to affirm the pioneering role of UEH youth in contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), working toward building a sustainable learner community with responsibility for leading and spreading positive values to society.

Fulfilling the Mission of Accompanying Students and Pioneering the Promotion of the Green University Model

The UEH Student Association Congress for the 2025-2028 term was successfully held under the action slogan "Professional - Resilient - Intellectual - Comprehensive Values - Sustainable Development," clearly establishing the direction of innovation and the pivotal role of the Youth Union and Student Association organizations in leading student movements, continuing the journey of 30 years of formation and development.

In 2025, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association continued to affirm their role as the core force accompanying learners, synchronously implementing activities that support material and spiritual well-being, ensure access to educational opportunities, and promote comprehensive student development, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals such as reducing inequality, eradicating poverty, and improving health and quality of life. Notable programs supporting students facing difficult circumstances included 06 voluntary blood donation drives, mobilizing over 104 million VND to award 26 "Bright Future" scholarships; the "Support the Journey to School" campaign assisting more than 2,100 new students in finding accommodation; along with a series of psychological counseling activities, soft skills enhancement, career guidance, and physical and mental health care for students.

"Bright Future" Scholarship Award Ceremony

Alongside these efforts, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association focused on building campus cultural life and nurturing community spirit through annual programs such as UEH Youth Festival, New Student Welcome Festival, A New Lifestyle, recognition of "Five-Good Students," and over 200 cultural and sports activities throughout the year, thereby contributing to preserving cultural values, promoting positive lifestyles, and supporting the goal of building a learning, creative, and sustainable city.

Particularly, 2025 marked the distinct pioneering role of the UEH Youth Union and Student Association in promoting the Green University model. Activities within the framework of the UEH Green Campus Project were strongly implemented with the participation of tens of thousands of students through the "Green Volunteer" campaign, recycling workshops, and talkshows on circular economy and sustainable development. In response to Ho Chi Minh City Student Week Pioneering Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Development, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association coordinated with the VinGroup For a Green Future Fund to organize the Forum "Ho Chi Minh City Students with Green Practices and Sustainable Actions," while simultaneously launching and transferring the Let's Green Unitour model to 10 higher education and college institutions, thereby spreading green practices from UEH to the community.

Let's Green Unitour Kick-Off Activity

Developing the Trend of "Green" Academic and Scientific Research

With the goal of integrating sustainable development principles into academic activities and spreading knowledge to the community, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association focused on implementing scientific research programs linked to the UEH Green Campus Project, thereby affirming the pioneering role of UEH youth in promoting quality education and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.

UEH Student Scientific Research Festival 2025

In 2025, the UEH Student Scientific Research Festival recorded 678 recognized research projects, of which 622 projects received awards; notably, 151 projects focused on sustainable development topics and 73 research papers were selected for communication in the Applied Knowledge Dissemination Series. Additionally, 21 articles were published in the Student Scientific Research Proceedings, 02 outstanding projects reached the Finals of the Euréka Award 2025, and UEH students won 11 awards at the "Science and Technology Awards for Students in Higher Education Institutions," continuing to affirm the quality and depth of student scientific research.

Parallel to UEH-level platforms, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association maintained and expanded the scientific research award system at member colleges, with 149 projects receiving awards, focusing on green transformation, innovation, and sustainable development. Along with this, 05 thematic talkshows on circular economy and sustainable development and 05 academic competitions were organized, contributing to forming research thinking aligned with the context of globalization and green transformation.

Particularly, large-scale academic programs such as the UEH Model United Nations Conference (UEH MUN 2025), the UEH Economics Student Debate Competition (UEH DEBATE 2025), and the Economic Event Commentary Series continued to serve as forums for students to access and analyze economic-social issues, public policy, and sustainable development, thereby nurturing critical thinking capacity, research skills, and civic responsibility in the context of integration.

Finals of the Economic Event Commentary Series 2025

Enhancing the Quality and Scale of Community Volunteer Activities

Implementing the orientation of training global citizens with the capacity to act for sustainable development, in 2025, the UEH Youth Union and Student Association continued to effectively implement community volunteer programs and campaigns, creating practical impact and making clear contributions to SDGs on poverty eradication, social welfare, community health, and reducing inequality.

The Spring Volunteer Campaign 2025 continued to affirm the core role of the UEH Youth Union and Student Association in social welfare work with 32 teams, 2,200 volunteers participating, and total resources exceeding 1.14 billion VND. Through activities such as Tet care packages, scholarship awards, children's gifts, and the implementation of youth projects and tasks at local areas, the campaign helped meet essential community needs while spreading the spirit of sharing and social responsibility among UEH students.

Spring Volunteer Campaign 2025

Continuing this spirit, the UEH Economics Student Volunteer Campaign 2025 was implemented in two phases: Green Summer and Full Moon Festival, mobilizing total resources exceeding 2 billion VND. Activities focused synchronously on caring for and developing children and youth; building and improving rural infrastructure, environment, and landscape; organizing summer activities, cultural festival nights, awarding scholarships and gifts to policy families and children facing difficult circumstances. Alongside this, numerous youth projects on rural transportation, community activity spaces, environmental protection, and education-culture-sports were implemented, contributing to improving the quality of life in volunteer areas.

Particularly, in response to the requirements of administrative management reform at the grassroots level, UEH volunteer teams strengthened support for public services and digital transformation, directly guiding residents in accessing online public services, contributing to enhancing digital capacity and promoting digital government at the local level.

UEH Economics Student Volunteer Campaign 2025: Phase 1 - Green Summer

UEH Economics Student Volunteer Campaign 2025: Phase 2 - Full Moon Festival

With a persistent, in-depth approach centered on the community, the volunteer activities of the UEH Youth Union and Student Association did not stop at short-term support but gradually created long-term value, thereby affirming the core role of UEH youth in realizing sustainable development goals and building a comprehensively developed UEH community.

Pillar: Training, Research, Operation, Community

Project: UEH Connecting

News and photos: UEH Youth Union and Student Association