On December 16, 2025, the University of Da Nang (UD) hosted a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of cooperation between UD and the Mimasaka City Government (Japan).

On this occasion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu - President of UD, Mr. Hagiwara Seiji - Mayor of Mimasaka City and Mr. Manodona Takashi - Director of Aida Engineering Okayama signed a Cooperation Agreement, elevating their partnership in training, supplying, and utilizing high-quality human resources.

The event was honored by the attendance of Mr. Mori Takero - Consul General of Japan in Da Nang; Prof. Dr. Tran Van Nam - Chairman of the Vietnam–Japan Friendship Association in Da Nang City and former President of UD; Mr. Kobayashi Keisuke - Deputy Chief Representative of JETRO Office in Vietnam; Mr. Keiji Hirayama - Director of Hasegawa Vietnam Co., Ltd., representing the Japan Business Association in Vietnam.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Office and functional departments of UD (Training and Educational Quality Assurance; Science and International Cooperation; Department of Student Affairs, Partners and Communication; Center for Continuing Education; Counselling Center for Employment and self-Supporting Overseas Studies); the Boards of Rectors, Offices of Science, Technology and International Cooperation, and Centers for Student Support and Enterprise Relations of UD member universities; leaders of relevant faculties (Transportation Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Mechanical Engineering, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, Advanced Science and Technology) of UD-University of Science and Technology (DUT) and the Department of Japanese Language and Culture of UD-University of Foreign Language Studies (UFLS).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu - President of UD emphasized the significance of the 10-year cooperation milestone between UD and Mimasaka City, which reflects mutual trust, friendship, and the tireless efforts of both sides. He expressed particular honor and delight that Mayor Hagiwara Seiji has been conferred the title of Honorary Doctor of UD during this cooperative journey.

President Nguyen Ngoc Vu noted that, in the current context, UD has been selected by the Government of Vietnam as 1 of the 4 leading universities prioritized for strategic investment to become a model for the Vietnamese higher education system. This, he stressed, is a major opportunity and privilege for UD, but also a substantial challenge and responsibility toward the country’s development.

To achieve breakthrough development in the coming period, UD continues to place great importance on international cooperation as a key strategic direction. In particular, the “triple-helix” cooperation model among the state, universities, and businesses is viewed as crucial for improving the quality of training and scientific research, and for developing human resources capable of working in international environments, especially in Japan – a country UD greatly admires for its science, technology, and spirit of discipline.

Reviewing the achievements of the past decade, UD President highlighted that numerous academic exchange and cultural exchange activities have contributed to deepening mutual understanding and expanding cooperation in multiple fields, with a particular focus on human resource development and utilization.

President Nguyen Ngoc Vu expressed appreciation and sincere thanks to the Mayor and the leadership of Mimasaka City for receiving UD students, who not only had the opportunity to intern, gain practical experience, and enhance their professional skills and Japanese language proficiency, but among them, several graduates have been recruited to work at the Mimasaka City Hall.

With the facilitation of the Mimasaka City Government, UD has also cooperated with Aida Engineering, creating opportunities for UD students to undertake internships. To date, more than 10 UD graduates have been recruited as engineers at the company. In addition, Mimasaka City has supported the opening of Japanese language training courses and the donation of books and learning materials, helping UD students gain more opportunities for their future careers.

Entering a new stage of development, UD will continue to enhance the quality of education and scientific research, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and deepen cooperation with enterprises such as Aida Engineering Okayama to accompany and support students with internship and employment opportunities in Japan on a completely non-profit basis. UD also aims to expand and replicate this cooperation model with other international enterprises in the near future.

Mr. Hagiwara Seiji - Mayor of Mimasaka City shared his joy and heartfelt thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu, UD lecturers and staff and relevant agencies and organizations for their support and dedication over more than a decade in implementing concrete cooperation activities between Mimasaka City and UD.

He highly appreciated and thanked UD leaders for their thoughtful coordination in preparing and organizing the anniversary and signing ceremony, which elevated the partnership to a new level. According to Mayor Hagiwara, the cooperation outcomes achieved so far are diverse and substantive in many areas, including: human resource development, Japanese language training and cultural exchange, as well as the promotion of investment, trade, and tourism.

A notable highlight is that seven UD graduates are currently working and making positive contributions to the development of Mimasaka City. They serve as bridges of friendship, support foreign residents, and participate in administrative procedure reforms at the locality.

Building on these achievements, the Mimasaka City Government commits to continuing to strengthen social welfare policies, thereby contributing to a safe and stable living and working environment for Vietnamese citizens to confidently develop their careers. The city also plans to increase the number of UD graduates employed at the City Hall.

According to Mr. Manodona Takashi - Director of Aida Engineering Okayama, UD students not only have strong professional knowledge but also demonstrate proactive integration skills and the ability to quickly adapt to the professional working environment in Japan. Many students have made remarkable efforts in improving their Japanese, achieving N2 and even N1 proficiency within just one year, reflecting their ambition, positive attitude, and eagerness to learn and grow.

The leadership of Aida Engineering Okayama expressed the hope that the newly signed MOU among the parties will open up new opportunities for cooperation in training, research, equipment support, scholarships, as well as receiving interns and recruiting engineers from UD to work in Japan.

At the ceremony, the President of UD, the Mayor of Mimasaka City, and the Director of Aida Engineering Okayama signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) based on the cooperation model linking university, local government, and business.

The MOU focuses on further promoting cooperation in education and training, scientific research and technology transfer, human resource development, and the strengthening of cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy.

A standout feature of this tripartite cooperation is that, with the support and favorable conditions created by the local government and the orientation and assistance from businesses, UD students will have enhanced opportunities to undertake internships and work in Japan under engineer visa. These activities are completely free of charge for students (no fees of any kind are collected), and their legitimate rights and benefits are fully guaranteed.

UD students are thereby expected to become a core workforce contributing to the development of Mimasaka City and the wider region of Japan in the future, shared Dr. Hoang Hai, Director of Counselling Center for Employment and self-Supporting Overseas Studies - UD.

UD Media

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