On January 19, 2021, Vietnam Japan University held the 6th session of the Committee for Science and Academics 2018-2021. Attendants of the Session are Rector Board, Japanese experts in Vietnam and Japan, Program Directors and Managers of functional departments. Main contents are included and discussed are (1) The plan to open new training programs until 2025 (of which, the Committee focuses on introduction and discuss opening of a new bachelor program for the next year; (2) Summary of 5 years of pilot master programs; (3) Departments restructure; (4) Personnel preparation for the new term.

Evaluation of 5-years’s pilot training shows many positive results, in which, Viet Nam’s society has initially got to know, welcomed and granted for training quality by VJU. So far, VJU has come out 197 master graduates who have received their degrees after 3 intakes. Research has achieved remarkable progress with more than 112 scientific publications published on the ISI/Scopus list by the end of 2019-2020. This is an important background to achieve the University’s goal to one of the leading research universities in the region.

In terms of infrastructure, the Vietnamese government has approved ODA loan to build its infrastructure in Hoa Lac by the end of 2019 and issued a special financial mechanism for VJU for 2021-2025. Since April 2020, JICA has signed TC2 project for 2020-2025 with a focus on improving training, research and university management capacity at the University. This is a prime time for VJU to complete its organizational structure, develop new training programs based on the needs of the society, enhanced its position before coming into a new phase of development. So far, organizational structure improvements achieved included appointment of another Vice Rector to the Rector Board, establishment of two faculties and restructure of functional departments to meet the requirements. 3 new departments now are Academics and Student Affairs Department; R&D Promotion and Cooperation Development Department and Educational Testing and Quality Assurance Office.

In VJU plan for opening new educational programs up to 2025, 5 new programs will be opened until 2025. In Vice Rector Nguyen Hoang Oanh presented at the session, VJU planned to open Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering in the next year. The program focuses on providing a wide range of skills and knowledge needed for systematic studies of the basics an applications of respective fields of software, hardware, artificial intelligence based data analysis. The programs fosters creativities and the ability to develop and find applications of those technologies for sustainable development of the human kind. Program directors and experts have contributed to the new program framework, program name and enrollment methods to make it good, effective and widely available to students.

In the session, preparation of personnel for the next term of Committee for Science and Academics has been addressed. Accordingly, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 poses many new requirements for higher education. AI, IoT and Big Data will change the learners’ needs. It requires universities to change learning and teaching, program diversification as well as inclusion of multi-stakeholders in their training to meet the need of the society. The personnel for VJU’s Science and Academics Committee next term will be experienced, knowledgeable and adapting to bring VJU into a new stage of development.