The year 2025 concluded, marking a journey of spectacular breakthrough for Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade. More than just telling numbers, these are the fruits of modern management thinking, a spirit of relentless innovation, and the passionate hearts of the University's academic community. Let's revisit the 10 brilliant highlights that defined a proud 2025:

1.  CAREER GUIDANCE - ADMISSIONS: DIGITIZING EXPERIENCES, LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH

In 2025, HUIT recorded approximately 180,000 applications for admission, leading the nation, demonstrating its brand appeal and the effectiveness of its career guidance and admissions efforts. Building on this foundation, the university defined its guidance strategy with a digital orientation, enhancing the "touch - understand - choose" experience for students right from the exploration phase. 

This year, HUIT implemented VR360 campus tours, garnering over 100,000 visits, enabling prospective students to "preview - understand clearly - choose correctly" their field of study, facilities, and student environment. In parallel, the university integrated Virtual Reality (VR) glasses into counseling and career guidance activities, creating an intuitive experience that boosts confidence and supports informed decision-making. Alongside these technological solutions, HUIT produced a series of short clips sharing authentic career experiences, categorized by field and career path. This content was disseminated across multiple platforms to align with the media consumption habits of high school students. Notably, the HUIT Student Ambassador team actively participated in exchanges, consultations, and Q&A sessions, offering an authentic "insider's perspective." This approach helped bridge the gap between the university and applicants, increasing engagement and supporting them in "choosing the right major - choosing the right university."

With its experience-based and digitalized approach to career guidance, HUIT has not only enhanced its admissions effectiveness but also built lasting trust among students and parents. This serves as a crucial foundation for the university to continue strengthening its brand, improving the quality of its intake, and advancing modern, friendly, and efficient admissions practices.

2.  SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH – INNOVATION: NATIONAL IMPACT AND SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

In 2025 at HUIT, scientific research - entrepreneurship - innovation developed cohesively, forming an integrated ecosystem that tightly links training, application, and commercialization. The university invested nearly 8 billion VND, creating leverage for lecturers and students to transform ideas into tangible outcomes.

In prestigious competitions, HUIT made a significant impact by securing 01 First Prize, 02 Second Prizes, 05 Third Prizes, and 04 Consolation Prizes at the National Student Science and Technology Competition; along with 06 awards at the 27th Euréka Competition. In the entrepreneurial field, HUIT earned 01 Third Prize and 01 National Consolation Prize, as well as 01 First Prize, 02 Second Prizes, and 1 Third Prize at the Provincial/City level.

Particularly, the past year marked HUIT's first significant step in international integration with the successful organization of the Vietnam-Korea Global Startup Idea Exchange. In this competition, HUIT teams secured 1 first prize, 2 second prizes, and 3 third prizes, opening up new spaces for integration and international networking for the university's students and startup projects.

Simultaneously, HUIT affirmed its strength in food technology through FID 2025 – "The Future of Food", a competition with a total prize pool of 300 million VND, where HUIT excellently won 02 First Prizes and the special award "The Future Entrepreneur".

On the internal scale, the 2024–2025 Scientific Research Competition attracted 318 projects with 1,002 participating students from 13 faculties; 213 projects involving 663 students advanced to the finals, supported by funding and prizes totaling over 200 million VND. A highlight of the ecosystem was the 6th HUIT Startup event, which drew 153 projects from 46 universities, colleges, and high schools—a 24.39% increase—with a total prize pool and incubation packages worth over 1 billion VND.

Concurrently, HUIT provided pre-incubation support for 5 student projects, trained over 3,500 students, and organized more than 40 mentoring sessions, workshops, Demo Days, and Startup Tours. The university also implemented Project 3561/QĐ-UBND, which supports startup and innovation enterprises in the agricultural sector for the 2025–2030 period, offering 09 training courses for 310 enterprises and successfully advising on the commercialization for 5 high-tech agricultural businesses. Additionally, HUIT provided Innovation and Entrepreneurship skills training for 200 teachers from 10 high schools and vocational education centers.

In recognition of its sustained contributions, in 2025, the Ministry of Education and Training awarded a Certificate of Merit to the University as a collective and to 01 individual for their achievements in supporting student entrepreneurship from 2017 to 2025 at the 7th National Startup Day.

3.  INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES: EXPANDING TRAINING COOPERATION AND ENHANCING STUDENT INTEGRATION EXPERIENCES

In 2025, HUIT's international cooperation and integration activities showed clear progress, evident both in the enrollment scale of its joint training programs and a diverse series of exchange events. This direction contributes to enhancing students' intercultural competence and integration capacity in the global education environment.

Regarding training programs, HUIT enrolled nearly 300 students for the 2+2 international joint program in Chinese Language; simultaneously, its joint program with Shinawatra University (Thailand) attracted over 300 registered students, demonstrating the appeal of international educational pathways and the growing demand for integration. Building on this foundation, the university organized numerous exchange activities, allowing students to interact, learn, and experience an international environment right at HUIT. These included cultural, academic, and sports exchange programs with students and representatives from countries such as the USA, Australia, Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Colombia, Austria, Malaysia, and Taiwan. These initiatives helped broaden perspectives, enhance intercultural competence, and build confidence in global integration. Going beyond "hosting and exchange" activities, students from the HUIT International Institute also represented the university in the "Red Journey" program in Wuhan and Chongqing, and participated in the Immersion Camp 2025 (a two-week program) in Thailand. These opportunities expanded their academic and cultural experiences while strengthening their foreign language skills and adaptability.

The international activities in 2025 demonstrate HUIT's shift from "activity-based integration" to "experience and curriculum-based integration." This is a crucial foundation for the university to continue expanding its partner network, diversifying its joint programs, and educating students with a global citizen orientation.

4.  TRAINING - QUALITY ASSURANCE: COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDIZATION, OUTCOME-ALIGNMENT, AND ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE

In 2025, the training quality at HUIT continued to improve, clearly reflected in output indicators and program standardization effectiveness. The university trained and conferred degrees to nearly 7,500 new engineers and bachelors across various disciplines. A positive proportion of students achieved high academic performance, reflecting sustained enhancement in learning quality and output standards.

Among them, graduates with an Excellent classification accounted for 2.9%, and those with a Good classification reached 19.9%, showing an upward trend compared to the previous year. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the university's strategy to standardize programs, innovate teaching and learning methodologies, and enhance assessment, while strengthening the alignment of training with practical professional requirements. This foundation also helps students improve their adaptability, better meet labor market demands, and increases the competitiveness of the workforce trained by HUIT.

Alongside enhancing academic quality, HUIT is enriching the holistic development experience for learners through innovations in physical education and quality assurance activities. Pickleball has been integrated into the curriculum starting from the 2025–2026 academic year with 4 dedicated courts, while basketball has been officially introduced into the teaching program from the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year.

In terms of quality assurance, the University intensified self-evaluation and accreditation efforts by conducting preliminary surveys for 15 training programs (13 Master's and 02 Bachelor's) and official accreditation for 13 undergraduate and 02 graduate programs. This process focused on comprehensive standardization, from curriculum and teaching-assessment methods to facilities, faculty, and graduate quality.

HUIT is progressively and sustainably raising its quality standards, using graduate outcomes as a key metric. This serves as the foundation for the University to continue standardizing its programs, enhancing practical relevance, and strengthening the competitiveness of its graduates in the labor market.

5.  EMULATION - REWARDS: RECOGNITION FROM MINISTRIES & SECTORS, DRIVING INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

In 2025, alongside outstanding achievements in training, scientific research, and digital transformation, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) continued to mark significant milestones in emulation and reward work, as well as in gaining recognition from sector management bodies.

At the Fourth Patriotic Emulation Congress of the Industry and Trade Sector for the 2025–2030 period, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the University was honored to receive the Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit for 01 individual and 02 collectives (the Faculty of Food Technology and the Department of Organization & Administration).

The University received a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training, awarded to the institution as a collective and to 01 individual, for outstanding achievements in supporting student entrepreneurship from 2017 to 2025 at the 7th National Student Startup Festival in 2025.

In the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony commemorating the 43rd anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day (20/11/1982 – 20/11/2025), numerous collectives and individuals from HUIT were commended by the Minister of Industry and Trade for their outstanding work performance. Specifically, the collectives of the Admissions and Communications Center and the Faculty of Food Technology, along with 19 individuals, were awarded the Minister of Industry and Trade's Certificate of Merit; concurrently, 04 individuals were recognized with the title "Industry and Trade Sector Emulation Fighter."

The titles and awards presented are not only well-deserved recognition for the efforts of exemplary collectives and individuals but also serve as a driving force for HUIT to continue innovating, creating, and leading in training, scientific research, and technology transfer. This also forms the basis for the University to steadfastly pursue its goal of building a high-quality, modern, and integrated educational environment; while affirming the role of key forces in accompanying HUIT to fulfill its mission of training high-quality human resources to serve the sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City and the nation.

6.  HUMAN RESOURCES - FACULTY DEVELOPMENT: STRENGTHENING ACADEMIC "CORE COMPETENCE" AND EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) remained steadfast in its goal of consolidating human resources by stabilizing its scale while simultaneously enhancing quality. This is the crucial foundation for its strategy of integrating training with research and international integration.

With a current team of 680 lecturers and 170 administrative staff, HUIT possesses a robust operational workforce. A highlight of 2025 was the growth of its high-level intellectual contingent, as the University welcomed 01 additional Professor and 06 Associate Professors. This achievement brings the total number of Professors/Associate Professors to 43 (04 Professors, 39 Associate Professors) and PhD holders to 310, directly contributing to strengthening HUIT's academic "core competence" and consolidating its professional reputation.

Alongside strengthening its internal structure, HUIT has proactively asserted its position through strategic international outreach. Establishing and deepening cooperative relationships with prestigious international partners in dynamic educational markets like China and Thailand has opened up boundless spaces for academic exchange for both faculty and students. These outcomes affirm that HUIT is on the right track with its "people quality enhancement" strategy as the foundation for training quality and research capacity. They also motivate the University to continue its path of standardization, integration, and breakthrough in the next phase of development.

7.  COMMUNITY SERVICE: SPREADING SOCIAL WELFARE - EDUCATIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT - DISASTER SUPPORT THROUGH RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) not only achieved strong growth in its educational mission but also wrote proud pages in its journey of community service. With compassionate hearts and a profound sense of responsibility, the HUIT community has transformed mobilized social resources into living humanistic values, igniting hope wherever the university's reach extends.

The University's Labor Union played a pivotal role in mobilizing resources, contributing 400 million VND to support residents in the Central and Central Highlands regions affected by natural disasters, and also donating 15,000 notebooks to help students in flood-hit areas return to school. Particularly, the educational encouragement initiative left a strong impression with the "Nurturing Future Seeds" program. Here, HUIT allocated 400 million VND specifically for scholarships to students at 20 high schools across 18 provinces and cities. The program was accompanied by HUIT ICONIC Communication Ambassadors, delivering not only material value but also powerful inspiration, helping the younger generation confidently navigate their future path.

Continuing this legacy of gratitude, the HUIT Veterans Association carried out a meaningful journey to Đắk Lắk province with a budget of nearly 300 million VND. The delegation personally visited and presented gifts for the care of 03 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and supported families of wounded soldiers and martyrs, reaffirming the enduring moral principle of "When drinking water, remember its source" upheld by the university's academic community.

Furthermore, the youthful energy of the HUIT Youth Union and Student Association has become a symbol of dedication in border and highland regions. During the Spring Volunteer Campaign, the project "Lighting Rural Paths with Solar Energy Lamps" in Tây Ninh province brought safe and civilized light to the community of Trà Vong Commune. This journey extended to Gia Lai province as part of the Green Summer Campaign, where classrooms were renovated, homes of policy beneficiary families were cleaned, and rural roads were made greener, cleaner, and more beautiful through meaningful farming experience days. These activities represent not only material support but also a testament to the humanistic values and unconditional spirit of service that HUIT consistently pursues on its path of sustainable development.

8.  CULTURE - SPORTS: SCALING UP, PROMOTING IDENTITY, AND FOSTERING A SPIRIT OF UNITY

In 2025, the cultural and sports movement at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) was organized systematically and on a large scale, creating a strong ripple effect throughout the university. Activities for staff, faculty, and students not only enriched their spiritual lives but also contributed to building a positive, energetic, and cohesive working and learning environment.

The traditional HUIT Trade Union Sports Festival marked a milestone as the largest sporting event to date, gathering 661 athletes from 34 Union units. It featured a variety of competitions such as tug-of-war, sack race, badminton, table tennis, Chinese chess, football, volleyball… The festival provided a vibrant platform for health improvement, fostered cross-unit interaction, nurtured team spirit, and spread an atmosphere of healthy competition among staff, faculty, and workers.

For the student body, the Student Cultural Festival attracted over 1,000 students from 14 faculty-level youth unions, serving as a stage for HUIT's youth to showcase their unique identity and creative energy. The program was linked to celebrations commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the 80th National Day, thereby evoking national pride and a sense of responsibility among the younger generation. Additionally, the 2025 Freshmen Welcome Gala contributed to energizing the start of the academic year, promoting HUIT's culture, and strengthening student engagement from their very first days on campus.

Through its series of meaningful activities, the cultural and sports movement continues to serve as the "bonding glue" for the community, while also contributing to traditional education and fostering a modern, humane, and comprehensively developing educational environment.

9.  THE HUIT PARTY COMMITTEE CONGRESS FOR THE 2025 - 2030 TERM

The Party Committee Congress of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) for the 2025-2030 term was a significant political event in 2025, marking a strategic shift in the university's leadership, governance, and development orientation. The Congress reviewed the 2020-2025 term, highlighting key achievements in university autonomy, operational mechanism innovation, enhancement of training quality, scientific research, modern governance, and building a strong workforce. It also set the direction for the 2025-2030 term towards comprehensive renewal, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening international cooperation, developing scientific research and innovation, and improving governance efficiency to meet the demands of integration and sustainable development.

Regarding personnel, the Congress elected the Executive Committee for the 2025-2030 term consisting of 07 members. Comrade Nguyễn Xuân Hoàn was re-elected as Secretary of the Party Committee, Comrade Phan Xuân Cường was elected as Deputy Secretary, and other key leaders joined the Executive Committee. This outcome establishes a solid political and organizational foundation for HUIT to implement its strategic goals, foster collective strength, and enhance leadership effectiveness in the new development phase.

10.   INFRASTRUCTURE: EXPANDING DEVELOPMENT SPACES

Under the framework of international strategic cooperation, the University received a non-refundable grant from the Shandong Chenbang CNC Equipment Co., Ltd., consisting of two high-tech CNC machines: a 4-axis and a 5-axis model, each valued at 300,000 USD (approximately 8 billion VND) ex-factory. Simultaneously, the company also committed to covering all import costs, estimated at nearly 2 billion VND, helping to enhance teaching and learning infrastructure for the university's faculty and students.

According to the proposed organizational restructuring plan of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Oil and Oil Plants Research Institute (an affiliated unit of the Ministry) is slated to be merged into the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT). This is a significant strategic direction aimed at expanding applied research capacity and adding "depth" to the university's research-integrated training model.

Following the merger, HUIT is expected to acquire an additional 04 facilities with a total land area of over 165 hectares (approximately 1.65 million m²). This provides substantial room for developing research, experimentation, model demonstration, and pilot production infrastructure geared toward practical needs. Based on this foundation, the combination of the Institute's strengths in applied research and its facilities with HUIT's human resources, training capacity, and network is expected to create a stronger ecosystem in the fields of agriculture, food, vegetable oil, and oil plants. It will also expand opportunities for students to participate in R&D projects, enhance technology transfer capabilities, and improve the operational efficiency of the integrated facilities.

Simultaneously with deepening its research capabilities, HUIT is developing a new campus in District 12 spanning over 27 hectares, creating long-term space to expand training and research facilities with modern infrastructure. By connecting the "horizontal expansion" advantage of the new campus with the "vertical deepening" from the applied research base post-merger, HUIT is expected to accelerate the enhancement of training standards, foster innovation and technology transfer, thereby better meeting the demand for high-quality human resources and contributing to sustainable development in the coming period.

Ten highlights, ten proud milestones – together, they weave the portrait of a HUIT in 2025, brimming with mettle and aspiration. As 2025 draws to a close, HUIT does not rest on its laurels. With the mindset of pioneers, we will continue to author even more brilliant chapters, propelling the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade brand further onto the global educational map. The road ahead is vast and open. With the solid internal strength honed over time, HUIT stands ready for breakthrough journeys, affirming its position as a university of "Academic Excellence – Humanistic Values – Global Integration."