The University of Danang (UD) is actively reinforcing its commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by participating in a series of high-impact international collaborations focused on the gathering and measurement of data for sustainable development. These initiatives provide concrete evidence of the university's role in the global effort to create a more sustainable future through data-driven assessment and action.

A premier example of this commitment is the university's participation in the SOHO (Smart, Optimized, High-quality, and On-demand Tourism Innovative Education for Sustainable and Green Development) project, funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ program.¹ This three-year initiative, running from December 2023 to November 2026, held its kick-off meeting in February 2024, marking the official start of its activities for the year.² The SOHO project is not merely an international partnership; it is explicitly designed with the SDGs at its core. The project's official documentation directly references key objectives such as "Sustainable Development Goals - Quality Education" and "environmental sustainability".

The delegation from The University of Danang (UD) and partner universities at the project kick-off event held at Politecnico di Milano, Milan, from from February 26th to 27th, 2024.

(Source: https://ute.udn.vn/TinTuc/9322/2/Doan-cong-tac-cua-Dai-hoc-Da-Nang-tham-du-Khoi-dong-Du-an-SOHO-ve-Doi-moi-giao-ducdu-lich-%E2%80%9Cthong-minh%E2%80%9D-chat-luong-cao-vi-su-phat-trien-%E2%80%9Cxanh%E2%80%9D-va-ben-vung.aspx)

Delegates from The University of Danang (UD) attended the 3rd Transnational Meeting of the SOHO project, held at Universiti Sains Malaysia (Penang, Malaysia), from December 5th to 6th, 2024.

Source: https://ute.udn.vn/TinTuc/9575/1/Dai-dien-Truong-Dai-hoc-Su-pham-Ky-thuat-Dai-hoc-Da-Nang-tham-gia-cuoc-hop-lan-thu-3-cua-du-an-SOHO.aspx

Crucially, the SOHO project moves beyond theoretical goals by embedding a specific, mandatory mechanism for data collection and analysis. The project framework dedicates Work Package 6 (WP6) to "Impact analysis and dissemination". This work package contractually obligates all partners, including Da Nang University, to engage in a structured process of data gathering. Specifically, it requires the use of "quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods to assess the extent to which the project has achieved its objectives". The tangible output of this process is a formal "Impact assessment report" (Deliverable D6.1), which serves as a definitive record of the project's measured contributions to its stated sustainable and green development goals. This structure provides irrefutable proof of Da Nang University's active participation in measuring data for the SDGs.

Website of SOHO project

Source: https://sohoproject.eu/

The University of Danang's engagement in SDG-oriented data gathering extends across a diverse portfolio of international projects active in 2024:

• DIVE Project: This Erasmus+ project is actively being implemented in 2024, with the university's management board for the project formally established in January 2024. As a beneficiary, the university is bound by stringent reporting and auditing requirements that necessitate the systematic collection of data to prove project progress and justify expenditures, ensuring accountability and measurable outcomes in the field of digital education.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Trung Hung (University of Technology and Education - UD) delivered a presentation at the DIVE project's kick-off meeting

(Source: https://ute.udn.vn/TinTuc/9319/1/Truong-DH-Su-pham-Ky-thuat-%E2%80%93-DH-Da-Nang-tham-du-phien-hop-khoi-dong-cua-du-an-DIVE.aspx)

• STEM-CENTRAL Project: Scheduled to be carried out from November 2024 to January 2026, this project is a partnership with the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. It aims to enhance STEM education for disadvantaged students, directly aligning with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities. Its outcome-based design includes data tracking of training reach (30 teachers) and student impact (300 participants), forming a strong evidence base for SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Students from Le Hong Phong Junior High School participated in STEM education training and toured the practical training workshops at University of Technology and Education - UD

(Source: https://ute.udn.vn/TinTuc/9491/1/Truong-DH-Su-pham-Ky-thuat-%E2%80%93-DH-Da-Nang-tap-huan-giao-duc-STEM-cho-hoc-sinh-Truong-THCS-Le-Hong-Phong-.aspx)

• As an initiating member of the Erasmus+ Digital MOve project (2024–2026), UD has played a proactive role in advancing digital transformation and open data collaboration among higher education institutions across Europe and Asia. UD’s delegation chaired and actively contributed to several coordination sessions at the Technical University of Košice (TUKE), Slovakia (January 22–26, 2024), focusing on the design and implementation of Work Package 2: “Fostering Digital Culture and Ecosystems in HEIs.” Through this initiative, UD has contributed to the co-development of digital capacity frameworks, data-sharing mechanisms, and open-access repositories that support SDG monitoring and benchmarking. These activities exemplify UD’s growing leadership in digital education reform and international data collaboration aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

(Source: The University of Danang fostered a cooperation relationship with Technical University of Košice, Slovakia under the framework of Digital-Move Project - English )

• ODA project: The project, valued at USD 7.7 million (2022–2027), focuses on improving ICT education, infrastructure, and innovation capacity at UD-VKU. During an official mission to Korea led by senior leaders of UD, the delegation held working sessions with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and partner universities to review the progress of the ongoing ODA project “Improving the Capability of Education, Training, Governance and Research for Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (UD-VKU)” as well as to review project outcomes and data-driven monitoring mechanisms. UD signed new cooperation agreements with the Korea Fabless Industry Association (KFIA) and Kyung Hee University to promote joint research, innovation, and human resource development in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).This partnership also embodies UD’s strategic contribution to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 .
• The partnership integrates systematic data collection on training quality, employability, and research performance, contributing directly to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 17.18 (Data Capacity for SDGs).

(Source: https://vku.udn.vn/vi/ky-ket-hop-tac-voi-kyung-hee-dai-hoc-danh-tieng-tai-han-quoc/)

• CEF Project: This collaboration with the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) to establish a Francophone career center is confirmed to be active in 2024, operating under an agreement valid until May 2024 and within a strategic framework that extends to 2025. The project operates on a principle of accountability, requiring data-backed financial and activity reports that contribute to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Senior leaders from AUF and The University of Danang (UD), along with the University of Technology and Education - UD, launched the CEF Danang Center

(Source: https://www.udn.vn/dao-tao-nhan-luc/chi-tiet/tong-giam-doc-auf-den-tham-lam-viec-voi-dai-hoc-da-nang-va-tham-du-le-khai-truong-trung-tam-huong-nghiep-phap-ngu-cef-danang)

In addition to its numerous international engagements, UD has sustained its strategic partnership with SEAMEO INNOTECH – a key regional centre for education innovation within the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). In previous years, UD contributed members to the governing board of SEAMEO INNOTECH and continues to collaborate in network-events and capacity-building activities. This enduring association underscores UD’s commitment to regional multi-stakeholder frameworks supporting education quality, innovation and sustainable development in line with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

(Source: https://www.seameo-innotech.org/innotech-ai-policy-hub-da-nang-meeting/)

The SEAAIR 2024 International Conference: Education, Creativity and Sustainability in the Digital Era, hosted by UD-University of Foreign Language Studies (UD-UFLS) from 5-7 November 2024 in Da Nang, Vietnam, marked a major milestone in UD’s international data and knowledge exchange efforts. The conference attracted over 100 speakers and nearly 300 authors submitting 150 abstracts and 90 full papers. As part of the event, participants engaged in multiple sessions dedicated to sustainable education governance, digital learning transformation, and CRE + SUSTAINABLE outcomes, which directly contribute to the measurement and benchmarking of higher-education impacts in alignment with SDGs. By collecting and sharing research outputs, institutional data and follow-up action plans, UD reinforced its capability in gathering evidence, tracking innovation metrics, and participating in regional data-sharing platforms. In doing so, UD’s role transcended hosting: it became a data node in the network of institutional research and sustainable development, contributing to the strengthened monitoring and reporting infrastructure required under frameworks like SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17.

(Source: https://www.udn.vn/english/Detail/seair-2024-international-conference-education-creativity-and-sustainability-in-the-digital-era)

Through these multifaceted international partnerships, Da Nang University is not only contributing to global educational and sustainable development initiatives but is also actively engaged in the critical work of collecting, measuring, and analyzing the data necessary to validate and guide these efforts. The SOHO project, with its explicit mandate for data-driven impact assessment, stands as the most comprehensive evidence of the university's integral role in the international collaboration on gathering and measuring data for the SDGs.