Connecting Minds, Advancing Innovation at the Fourth Viet Nam–Japan University Presidents’ Conference

The Fourth Viet Nam–Japan University Presidents’ Conference took place at Osaka University on October 8–9, 2026, under the theme “Achievements and Future Vision of Viet Nam–Japan Academic Cooperation.”

Co-hosted by Osaka University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, in coordination with Viet Nam’s Ministry of Education and Training, the conference brought together representatives from 38 Vietnamese and 30 Japanese universities, alongside government agencies, organizations and businesses from both countries. Participants included representatives of the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Deputy Minister of Education and Training Le Quan headed the Vietnamese delegation, with Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu also addressing the opening session.

In his remarks, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu highlighted the importance of people-to-people connections in building lasting ties between Viet Nam and Japan. He expressed hope that the conference would lead to practical cooperation in education, joint research and student exchanges, while affirming that the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan stood ready to help connect universities, research institutions and businesses in both countries.

Discussions focused on innovation ecosystems, highly skilled workforce development, government–university–industry partnerships and technology transfer. Higher education cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan continues to expand, with more than 40,000 Vietnamese students studying in Japan and approximately 1,800 agreements between universities in the two countries. Under a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2025, the two sides aim to train at least 50,000 university-level or higher professionals in the semiconductor sector by 2030.

On the sidelines of the conference, Deputy Minister Le Quan and Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu met with Tadashi Mochizuki, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination at MEXT. Their discussions covered higher education, skilled workforce development and scientific research, particularly in semiconductors and quantum technology.

The conference provided an opportunity to strengthen academic ties and explore new avenues for cooperation in education, science and technology, contributing to the Viet Nam–Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership./.