RMIT’s positive community impact

We also celebrated 20 years of our first group of graduates in Vietnam – the pioneers who laid the foundation for the vibrant community of over 20,000 alumni we proudly have today.

Prof. Claire Macken, Pro vice-chancellor and general director RMIT University Vietnam

It was a big year for student success, with over 1,300 of our students participating in internships across businesses in Vietnam and abroad, and many teams winning regional and global competitions. Nearly 2,000 students graduated, and more than 4,000 new faces joined our community. Additionally, hundreds transferred from RMIT Vietnam to RMIT Australia, enriching their international experience.

Our community actively participated in various wellbeing and sustainability initiatives, creative endeavours, and diversity and inclusion events such as the RMIT Vietnam Pride Week. These activities provided exceptional student experiences and facilitated wider awareness and action aligned with RMIT Vietnam’s vision.

Building on RMIT’s robust partnerships, we launched an AI lab with Ericsson, marked the fifth anniversary of the Vietnam Festival of Creativity and Design, and hosted musician Dean Lewis in an exclusive concert for our community.

We also had the pleasure of inaugurating RMIT’s Hanoi Industry and Innovation Hub and the VNU-RMIT Innovation Hub in association with the Vietnam National University. These hubs serve as dynamic spaces where academia and industry converge, creating an ecosystem that nurtures ground-breaking ideas.

Another memorable event in 2023 was the visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to our Hanoi campus, underscoring the deep ties between Australia and Vietnam after 50 years of bilateral links. During that visit, we announced a strategic investment fund focused on education, research, partnerships and campus infrastructure to ensure we continue to contribute to Vietnam’s long-term development.

RMIT has been in Vietnam for almost 25 years. Being a part of Vietnam is both an opportunity and a privilege, and we approach our role here seriously and with great pride.

Looking ahead, we are steadfast in our commitment to focus our degree programmes, research and community engagement activities on key areas that make a difference to the communities we serve, in particular the strategic pillars of emerging technologies, smart and sustainable cities, social innovation, and regional collaboration.

Emerging technologies represent a cornerstone of our vision, as we seek to contribute to an overall uplift of technological capabilities for Vietnam and the future of digital transformation.

Smart and sustainable cities are critical for Vietnam’s future development. We will align our activities with Vietnam’s goals relating to economic competitiveness, socioeconomic development, infrastructure, smart technologies and the digital economy.

Social innovation is another focal point, emphasising RMIT’s role in nurturing the human talent, knowledge and engagement needed in relation to culture, creativity and society.

Lastly, regional collaboration is paramount for us. In particular, we seek to strengthen Australia-Vietnam relations, policy development, quality assurance in education, and border security and defence.

These four pillars are all in line with Knowledge with Action, RMIT’s global strategy for 2022-2031. They are also where our strengths best align to the needs of Vietnam and the region.

HCM City, RMIT University strengthen cooperation Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc received Professor Claire Macken, General Director of Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Vietnam, on June 6.

RMIT and its goal to create positive impact in Vietnam and beyond As the first, largest, and leading international university in Vietnam, RMIT is committed to making a genuine difference in the communities in which the university operates.

Ericsson and RMIT University to establish AI Lab in Vietnam Ericsson and RMIT University have elevated their cooperation to a new height with an agreement signed on August 18 for the launch of the RMIT & Ericsson AI Lab at RMIT's campus in Hanoi.