Newsletter 01/2015 - Vietnamese

Newsletter 01/2015 Newsletter Special Edition 01/2015 Contents 3 Editorial 4 News from the Campus President of German Bundestag Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert Visits VGU 4 Inauguration of Dr. Mathias Neukirchen as New Vice President for Administration 5 Visit of German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel 6 German Parliamentary State Secretary Hans‐Joachim Fuchtel Visits VGU 7 CooperationBetween VGU and Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam Officially Confirmed 8 UAS Frankfurt and VGU Intensify their Partnership 9 Opening of Vietnamese‐German Training Center for Lean and Green Production 9 Bosch Donates Hand Tools to the Training Center for Lean and Green Production 11 Signing of MoU with German Business Association 11 12 News from Research Dr. An Minh Ngoc Completed Her Doctoral Dissertation 12 NAFOSTED Provided Funding for Three Research Projects 12 Dr. Jörg Franke Honored As “Outstanding Reviewer” for Engineering‐Journal 13 New Research Article Published by Prof. Hung 14 14 News from Conferences National Conference “Industrialization and Urbanization in Binh Duong” 14 Conference on Multiphysical Interaction and Environment 14 Consensus Building in Asia 15 Rethinking Development Studies in South East Asia 15 GAST Traveling Conference at VGU 15 International Conference “Housing for the poor” 16 National Conference “20 years of Urbanization in Southern Vietnam” 17 Roundtable Meeting on Safety of Two‐wheeled Vehicles in Geneva 17 International Symposium on City Planning 18 Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities Symposium 18 Conference “Solutions to Sustain the Urbanization Process” 18 1 Newsletter 01/2015 19 News from Workshops Technical visits to partner institutions in Germany 19 Seminar on Heritage Conservation 19 Workshop on Transport Modeling and Planning 20 Workshop on Advanced Computations in Modern Engineering 20 Winter School on Modern Numerical Methods in Engineering Simulation 20 Workshop for Laboratory Planning of VGU’s New Campus Held in Boston 21 Workshop on Human Resources Development for Textile and Clothing Industry 22 23 Events st
Students Won 1 Prize in the National Microsoft Imagine Cup Vietnam 2015 23 “Academia meets Business” continues the “Praxispartnership & Further Development of Innovation Management” project at Vietnamese‐ German University 23 VGU's Open Day 2015 25 WUS/VGU Friendship Association &Toon van der Hoorn Scholarship Granting Ceremony 25 VGU at Fablab Saigon's Arduino Day 26 Deutschlandfest (German Day) 2015 in Hanoi 26 Metalex‐Visit of GPEM classes 27 SantaBot Contest 27 Creative Marketing Competition 28 New Knowledge Contest “AllesWissen” Premiered at VGU 28 Christmas Party 2014 29 Recruitment Activities 30 31 Staff News 31 Welcoming New Staff 32 Prospects and Dates Bachelor Entrance Examination at VGU: 30thand 31stMay 2015 th
The 13 Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing 32 32 2 Newsletter 01/2015 Editorial Dear readers, It is with pleasure that we are getting back to you with a “special edition” of the VGU Newsletter after a break in 2014 due to personnel changes. This “special edition” is huge and we are delighted to announce a couple of great news items, from July 2014 until now. First of all, staffing of VGU’s Presidential Board is now completed with the inauguration of Dr. Mathias Neukirchen as VGU's new Vice President for Administration in October 2014. Read more about him and his ideas on page 5. The completion of the Presidential Board together with the increasing number of students (this year there are more than 1,000 students studying at VGU) and the addition of facilities like the Vietnamese‐German Training Center for Lean and Green Production, for example, shows that VGU is continuing to grow steadily as an institution. Read more about the opening of the Center on page 9. Furthermore, VGU’s representatives were pleased to welcome some important guests to Ho‐Chi‐
Minh City and Binh Duong. Find the report about the visit of the President of the German Bundestag, Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, on page 4, and the report about the visit of the Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, Mr. Sigmar Gabriel, on page 6. As always, please enjoy reading our news about research, workshops, student’s awards and outings and other events. If you have any comments to this newsletter, we appreciate hearing from you. With best regards from Vietnam, Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer, on behalf of VGU 3 Newsletter 01/2015 News from the Campus President of German Bundestag Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert Visits VGU The President of the German Bundestag, Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, visited VGU on 30th March 2015. Prof. Lammert was accompanied by the Vietnamese Minister for Education and Training, Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Luan, the German Ambassador to Vietnam, Jutta Frasch and members of the Binh Duong People’s Committee. VGU President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon said: "We are extremely pleased to welcome the President of the German Bundestag, Prof. Dr. Lammert to VGU. His visit shows just how important the Vietnamese‐German University is as a part of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany." Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert during his speech 130 students from all study programs were invited to listen to a lecture by Prof. Lammert. He spoke about his perception of globalization, bilateral issues and the relationship between the European Union and Southeast Asia. In his speech, Prof. Lammert stressed the importance of freedom of researching and teaching to VGU. “The Vietnamese‐German University has to be autonomous. It has to be led by academic criteria, not political criteria”, he said. For the future, he expressed his “wish and hope”, that VGU “will prove itself to be a flagship for the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany”. Prof. Luan also gave a speech and appealed to the future graduates of VGU to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. He promised to the audience and to Prof. Lammert: “With your support, we, the Ministry of Education and Training, will continue to develop our project more and more.” Group picture with Prof. Lammert, Prof. Luan, Ms. Frasch, Prof. Mallon, Dr. Vien, Mr. Nam (People’s Committee Binh Duong), Mr. Malchow (Deputy Consul General of Germany in HCMC) and students. 4 Newsletter 01/2015 After the speeches, Prof. Lammert answered questions from the students. The students were eager to know more about the German support for VGU, as well as Prof. Lammert’s opinion on tuition fees and his appraisal of education as the most important tool for the young generation to have more influence in leading a country. A group picture was taken in the courtyard and a buffet lunch in a small circle rounded off Prof. Lammert’s visit to VGU. Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer Inauguration of Dr. Mathias Neukirchen as New Vice President for Administration At VGU's premises on 15th October 2014, the inauguration ceremony for Vice President for Administration, Dr. Mathias Neukirchen, took place. Those attending the inauguration included Assc. Prof. Pham Manh Hung, the Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Dr. Ha Huu Phuc, the Director General of Education and Training, and the Director of Educational and Training Representing Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Ha Thanh, the Manager of International Cooperation, Binh Duong's Foreign Affair Department, Mr. Giang Quoc Dung, Chairman of Eastern International University, VGU's Presidential Board together with lecturers, staff and students of the university. Group Picture with newly inaugurated Vice‐President Dr. Mathias Neukirchen after the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Mallon, VGU's President said he immediately wanted to bring Dr. Neukirchen to VGU after their first meeting in Germany on 12thApril 2014. Prof. Mallon's first impression of Dr. Neukirchen was that he was a competent, pleasant and a down‐to‐earth person. Deputy Minister Pham Manh Hung congratulated VGU for completing the board with the fourth and final presidential member; the position took over two years to fill, despite a rigorous search. He hoped that with the Presidential Board now fully staffed, VGU would make remarkable progress in the very near future. In the highly anticipated speech, Dr. Neukirchen quoted Uncle Ho's Recommendation No. 12, "To show to the people that you are correct, diligent and disciplined" to punctuate his dedication to the great project. Dr. Neukirchen earned his PhD in Law at the University of Hamburg, Germany. He has extensive work experiences in law, human resources and education. Before joining VGU, he held the position of Vice President at the University of Rostock, Germany. As VGU's Vice President for Administration, his responsibilities will include issues of human resources, finance, purchasing & procurement, IT, facility management, legal affairs and internal audits. Pham Thi Thu Huong, Translator and Interpreter 5 Newsletter 01/2015 Visit of German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel On 22ndNovember 2014, during his official visit to Vietnam, Mr. Sigmar Gabriel, the Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany had a meeting with the management board and the students of the Vietnamese German University (VGU) at the MOET Building in Ho Chi Minh City. The Vice Chancellor mentioned that VGU was a strategic cooperation between the two governments. The establishment of VGU in Vietnam was an important decision reflecting the growing cooperation in the field of science and technology between the two countries. He expressed his hope that VGU will become a leading research and teaching university. VGU‐President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon and Vice Chancellor Mr. Sigmar Gabriel The President of VGU, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, warmly talked to the Vice Chancellor about the development of the university, the scholarship policy as well as the gateway to Germany and international career for VGU students. VGU students had a great discussion session with the Vice Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor got a very good impression of the young Vietnamese studying at VGU. He listened attentively to their reasons for choosing VGU to study, their desires to create clean energy and to apply German technologies in Vietnam. Nuclear energy The students had a great discussion with the German Vice Chancellor. development was also discussed. The Vice Chancellor could see the concerns of students, and he was very happy to answer the students’ questions. He also shared some information about the internship and job opportunities in Germany. He said he will encourage German companies to be more open to the Vietnamese students for internships and company visits so that the students can have more opportunities after their graduation. Nguyen Thi Truc Giang, Marketing Executive 6 News letter 01
1/2015 German
n Parliamen
ntary State Secretary H
Hans‐Joachim Fuchtel Visits VGU On 11th March 201
15, VGU rep
presentative s were hon
nored to we
elcome the Parliamenta
ary State Secretarry of the German Federa
al Ministry ffor Economic Cooperatio
on and Deveelopment (BMZ), Mr. Hans‐Joaachim Fuchteel, who visited VGU withh his delegattion from Ge
ermany and aaccompanyin
ng guests from Vieetnam. VGU‐President Prof. P
Dr. Jürggen Mallon and Vice‐Prresident Dr. Mathias Ne
eukirchen warmly w
welcomed M
Mr. Fuchtel and his deleggation, which
h included Mr. Hubertus Graf von Ple
ettenberg (German
n Investmen
nt and Deve
elopment CCompany DEEG), Mr. Christian Haass (German Financial Development Coopeeration KfW, located in Hanoi) and
d Mr. Yianniss Neophytouu (German Embassy, Hanoi). The Feederal Ministry for Economic Cooperaation and Development (BMZZ) plays an importan
nt role for VGU in general and for the Center for Lean and Green Pro
oduction in particulaar. Due to th
he financial means tthat BMZ provides p
to the R
Reconstructio
on Loan Corporattion (KfW),, who on their part supply fu
unds to the DEG, the Training Center C
was establish
hed under the co‐
financingg of DEG D
and consultaant Leonardo Group GmbH. P
Prof. Mallon
n as well as Mr. Hans‐Joaachim Fuchtel aand his delegatiion visiting the Vietnamese‐Geerman all V
VGU reprresentatives Training Cen ter for Lean and Green Production, here withh Dr. Carsten Reise. expresseed their gratitude for this strong support ffrom both the BMZ and tthe DEG. To demo
onstrate thee benefits this donation has made fo
or VGU students, Mr. Fuuchtel and his h guests were givven a tour through the Trraining Centeer. Afterwarrds, Mr. Fu
uchtel had a discussioon with Pro
of. Mallon and VGU rrepresentativves. The Parliameentary State Secretary ta
alked about tthe partnersship for susta
ainable textilles, an initiattive from the Ministry established in October 2014. The multi‐stakeholder initiative, i
coomprising textile and clothing industry, retailers, trade
e unions andd civil societyy, strives to b
bring about ssocial, ecolo
ogical and economic improvem
ments all along the textille supply chain. Against this backgroound, VGU and BMZ associatees discussed possibilitiess for workingg together in the field of textile and cclothing industry. Furtherm
more, the participants p
discussed ffunding by the t
German
n Investmennt and Deve
elopment Company DEG for several s
proje
ects of VGU.. The VGU Presidential P
Board is verry pleased about the sympath
hetic consideeration of tw
wo specific aapplications regarding th
he Enterprisse Resource Planning (ERP) So
oftware, whicch is intende
ed to be impplemented att VGU, and tthe Methodss‐Time‐Meassurement (MTM), which is – in addition
n to the Leaan and Green Factory – a methodd for increa
asing the productiivity of Vietn
namese and internation al companie
es. During th
he conversattion with Mrr. Fuchtel and his delegation, some first ideas were eexchanged regarding r
the
e establishm
ment of a joint office with thee MTM assocciation, in orrder to proviide trainingss and consultting projectss. The study program Global P
Production Engineering E
Managemen
M
nt (GPEM) will w submit th
he applicatioon to DEG asking a
for financingg the markett entry of MT
TM. Importan
nt to mentio
on is also the
e great suppport from the
e Ministry with respect tto the co‐financing of the position of ”Heaad of Techno
ology Transfeer and Indusstrial Relations“ through the CIM program of GIZ (Deu
utsche Geseellschaft für Internationaale Zusamme
enarbeit). GIZ is an inteernational enterprise 7 Newsletter 01/2015 owned by the German Federal Government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries. At the end of Mr. Fuchtel’s visit, he was given the VGU‐sponsored book “Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh – Mega City” and in return Prof. Mallon received a book about the Berlin wall and its sections, which can be found all over the world. The VGU Presidential Board and all university associates would like to thank Mr. Fuchtel and his delegation very much for his visit to Binh Duong. The existing co‐operation is intensified through meeting one another and VGU is looking forward to close co‐operation with the BMZ in The Parliamentary State Secretary Mr. Hans‐Joachim Fuchtel the future. and VGU‐President Prof. Dr. Mallon exchanging gifts Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer Henning Hilbert, Head of Language Center and Foundation Year CooperationBetween VGU and Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam Officially Confirmed On 3rdNovember 2014, VGU and Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam (MBV) confirmed their cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The prestigious automotive company is offering continuous mentoring internships for VGU students. The MoU was signed by VGU’s President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon and Mr. Michael Behrens, General Director of Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam. Besides internship and support for students writing their graduation thesis at the company, the scope of the MoU extends to other areas such as factory visits, research cooperation, guest lecturers and job opportunities for students. Mr. Behrens said on this occasion: “To have the best products and service, we need to invest in the best human resources. For MBV, this investment starts even before they work for us. We are happy to co‐operate with Vietnamese‐German University in creating a high‐quality workforce. With the German‐
standards in both education and practical working environment, our mentored students will satisfy the demand of top industrial companies, including MBV.” He stressed that building excellent human resources was a core point of the vision and mission of Mercedes‐Benz worldwide. VGU’s President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon andMr. Michael Behrens, General Director of Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam
Recently, four master students from the Master program Mechatronics and Sensor Systems Technology (MSST) have successfully completed a practical problem‐solving internship at the Technology Division at MBV for their graduation thesis. The students have provided interesting solutions and got a job offer by Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam afterwards. ”This has been a very interesting time for us. We were given a practical problem, had a professional mentorship from both the company and the university and thus, were able to come up with a practical solution to the problem,” said Dang Hai Dang, a student in the group. 8 Newsletter 01/2015 This is a success story of the German cooperation between university and industry: VGU provides students with a German‐standard education and Mercedes‐Benz Vietnam provides a practical and mentoring internship. The cooperation between MBV and VGU is in line with the intensified economic relationship between Germany and Vietnam. This success story results in bright career prospects for students and high‐quality human resources for the company. Press Department of Mercedes Benz Vietnam Marketing Department of VGU UAS Frankfurt and VGU Intensify their Partnership On 21stNovember 2014, a cooperation contract was signed between the University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt (UAS), Germany, and VGU. The contract covers the cooperation between VGU and Frankfurt, and also provides an opportunity for student exchanges between both universities. The University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt was VGU’s first partner university, and the partnership has been in existence since 2008. With the new contract, the cooperation between UAS and VGU has been intensified, because it allows for student exchanges, especially for the Bachelor programs Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (EEIT) and Computer Science (CS). This possibility is available for VGU students so far, and this year 14 VGU students will be able to study for one semester at UAS with a DAAD scholarship. Preparations have also been started so UAS students can come to Vietnam. This cooperation Pictured is UAS‐Vice President Prof. Dr. Kira Kastell will be extended, in the future, to allow for the exchange of researchers and scientists also. with VGU‐President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon. Silke Heimlicher, Head of Academic Affairs Opening of Vietnamese‐German Training Center for Lean and Green Production On 6th December 2014 more than 100 guests from industry and academia celebrated the opening of the Vietnamese‐German Training Center for Lean and Green Production at VGU. In order to be competitive, it is crucial that Vietnamese based manufacturing has to increase work productivity. Lean Management means to create value without waste by eliminating all actions that do not add any value to the product or service. Green Manufacturing aims at reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing. The Training Center is a co‐financing of the consultant Leonardo Group GmbH and the German Investment and Development Company DEG, which for her part receive their funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Center was established by the Leonardo Group GmbH, a European market leader in consulting for lean and efficient production (http:/www.leanfactoryvietnam.com), and the Collaborative Research Centre on Sustainable Manufacturing (http://www.sustainable‐manufacturing.net) of the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB, http://www.mf.tu‐berlin.de). Vietnamese engineers and technicians will be trained to be more efficient and effective in industrial value creation. The project aims to support industrial enterprises and state institutions to be more productive with less waste. 9 Newsletter 01/2015 Opening of the Vietnamese‐German Training Center for Lean and Green Production with Prof. Mallon and Mr. Wilbert “The Vietnamese German University, with its eleven study programs, reached more than 1000 students this year and continues to grow steadily. Qualifications are the basis for any innovation. The Master program in Global Production Engineering and Management (GPEM) prepares young engineers to become managers of technology in global enterprises. With the Training Center for Lean and Green Production we will enable them to reduce wasteful practices and to bring modern technology and innovation into established companies” said Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President of VGU, in his opening speech. Mr. Fred Wilbert, Managing Director of Leonardo Group GmbH, shared his thoughts about competitiveness through Lean Management. He emphasized that: “Companies usually orient themselves in the triangle of cost, quality and time ‐ but flexibility as a forth factor has become increasingly important. Lean companies are ready to react flexibly to the dynamic changes of our global value chains. Pull‐oriented operation controls and individual process innovation can result in highly flexible and versatile production systems.” He presented successful examples of Leonardo´s consulting activities for Fujitsu as well as SMEs, where the lean philosophy was established and increased delivery reliability and reduced stock inventories. “How to achieve acceptable living standards worldwide while not exceeding a responsible consumption of resources” was the research challenge presented by Dr. Carsten Reise, Director of the Training Center and Academic Coordinator of the Master program Global Production Engineering and Management. The goal is that the dynamics of global competition and cooperation should facilitate innovation and mediation towards the reasonable demands for sustainability on our globe. Assembly workplaces supported by modern information and communication technology will help to train workers, help to secure healthy ergonomics and transfer knowledge between people worldwide. The 500 square meter training center is located on the VGU campus in Binh Duong. The core feature of the center is an authentic, state‐of‐the‐art production cell that can produce actual products to demonstrate, promote and teach the application and benefits of Lean and Green Manufacturing. This Lean Factory ‐ a flexible, mixed‐model assembly line ‐ is used to produce different products. The simulation includes assembly, prefabrication, warehousing and logistics, and production control as well as links to suppliers. The cell embodies the latest developments in Lean and Green Manufacturing technology, and manufactures real products, like metal dollies of the type used in warehousing operations. These are produced in a wide range of variants to show how effectively Lean Manufacturing can handle present‐day requirements in high‐mix production environments. Dr. Carsten Reise, Director of the Training Center and Academic Coordinator of GPEM 10 Newsletter 01/2015 Bosch Donates Hand Tools to the Training Center for Lean and Green Production At the Opening Ceremony of the Vietnamese German Training Center for Lean and Green Production on 6th December 2014, Bosch donated power tools to the representatives from Global Production Engineering and Management (GPEM). VGU’s President, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, and GPEM‐
Coordinator Dr. Carsten Reise, were delighted to welcome Mr. Bui Anh Tuan, Country Sales Director from Bosch Power Tools, on this occasion. The commercial power tools, which were donated to the Training Center, included hand‐held drills, grinders and other workshop tools. The tools and devices will be used by students and lab technicians for material processing. After handing over the equipment, the Bosch representatives, together with the other guests, toured the Lean and Green Production. Further discussions about future cooperation between Bosch Mr. Bui Anh Tuan and Prof. Mallon are holding a and VGU were also made during the event. screw driver and a hand‐held drill inside the Lean Factory. Phan Minh Anh Luan, Teaching Assistant for GPEM Signing of MoU with German Business Association The Vietnamese‐German University (VGU) started a new cooperation with the umbrella association of German companies in Vietnam. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in July 2014 in Hanoi by VGU’s President, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, the Chairman of the German Business Association (GBA), Mr. Elmar Dutt, and the Chief Representative of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam (AHK/GIC), Mr. Marco Walde. The agreement is a result of high level discussions between the parties. It includes scholarships from the companies, different kind of supports to the students during their studies as well as research cooperation. Firstly, this means the delegates of AHK/GIC and the GBA are going to promote scholarships for VGU students in the Bachelor and Master Programs amongst their member corporations. Secondly, students will also benefit from other forms of close cooperation, such as internships with company related degrees, thesis works or plant visits. Thirdly, the MoU will strengthen the research cooperation with the VGU amongst the GBA & AHK/GIC member corporations. VGU’s outstanding lecturers and its state of the art labs will contribute to this high‐tech engineering research. The President of VGU, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, stressed the meaning of this agreement as a progress in the university’s development. “From now on, our students will have more opportunities to benefit from our close cooperation with the industry. Our partner companies will support the high level education with scholarships and benefit from technology transfer and research”, he said. The German Business Association is representing more than 160 established German corporations in Vietnam. The association promotes and fosters economic and cultural ties between Germany and Vietnam for its members. The AHKs are the main partners of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in terms of promotion of German business abroad. Together with Germany’s diplomatic missions the AHKs officially represent the interests of Germany’s industry and commerce in their host countries. Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer 11 Newsletter 01/2015 News from Research Dr. An Minh Ngoc Completed Her Doctoral Dissertation Dr. An Minh Ngoc from the Vietnamese‐German Transport Research Center (VGTRC) successfully completed her doctoral training. She passed her final examination at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, on 24th March 2015, and was awarded the title of Dr. rer. Pol. (Doctorate in Economic Sciences). The examination board consisted of seven people, including Prof. Dr. Uwe Rüppel (chairman), Prof. Dr. Manfed Boltze, Jun. Prof. Dr. Hanno Friedrich, Prof. Dr. Bharagab Maitra (Indian Institute of Technology), Prof. Stefan Schäfer, Prof. Dr. Matthias Becker, and Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Director of VGTRC. Prof. Reiner Anderl from TU Darmstadt also attended her presentation. The title of Mrs. Ngoc’s research paper is “Quality Management for Public Transport in Motorcycle Dependent Cities”, and she will finalize her dissertation for official publication within a couple of weeks. Dr. rer. pol. Ngoc together with Dr. Tuan in Darmstadt Mrs. Ngoc (born 1979) started her studies in 2010 as one of the first doctoral candidates at VGTRC, and from December 2011 until March 2015 she worked part‐time as a teaching assistant for VGU. For her final examination, she stayed five weeks in Germany, and VGU paid for the flight costs. Congratulations to Dr. rer. pol. Ngoc from all VGU associates, and a special thanks from Dr. Vu Anh Tuan for all the support provided by VGU for Dr. Ngoc’s dissertation. Dr. Vu Anh Tuan Director of the Vietnamese‐German Transport Research Centre (VGTRC) NAFOSTED Provided Funding for Three Research Projects 1. Dr. Tran Duc Han, Senior Lecturer in Computational Mechanics and Academic Coordinator of Computational Engineering (CompEng), is the principal investigator of a research project granted by National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). Dr. Han's project will focus on the development of a computational procedure for analysis of fractures using symmetric Galerkin boundary element method based on the isogeometric approach. The budget for Dr. Han’s project is 321 million VND (approx. 15,000 USD). The project starts in March 2015 and will last for two years. The funding for the project will also pay for two master students to assist with the research and gain research experience. 2. Assc. Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Senior Lecturer in Simulation Technology of CompEng, is the principal investigator of a research project granted by NAFOSTED. In this project Assc. Prof. Hung will focus on the integration of modeling and simulation of laminated structures with size effects. The budget for this project is 1.018 billion VND (approx. 47,500 USD). The project will start in May 2015 and is planned to be finished in May 2017. The funding for this project pays also for four master students and two PhD students to assist with the research and gain research experience. Dr. Tran Duc Han, Academic Coordinator of Computational Engineering 12 Newsletter 01/2015 3. Dr. Tran Duc Khanh, Senior Lecturer and Academic Coordinator of the Business Information Systems Master program, is the principal investigator of a research project on Knowledge Representation and Reasoning in Linguistic‐valued Logics. The project received a grant from the NAFOSTED of 475 million VND (approx. 22 000 USD). The project started in June 2014 and is expected to end in June 2016. In addition to providing funds to deepen knowledge into this area and widen collaboration, the grant will also pay for a PhD student to assist with the research and gain research experience. Dr. Tran Duc Khanh, Academic Coordinator of Business Information Systems Dr. Jörg Franke Honored As “Outstanding Reviewer” for Engineering‐Journal In October 2014, Dr. Jörg Franke, Academic Coordinator for Master Program of Mechatronics and Sensor Systems Technology (MSST), was awarded the status of an outstanding reviewer for the “Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics”. He received this honor, because he is a member of the editorial board and within the top 10thpercentile of reviewers for the Journal, in terms of the number of manuscript reviews completed in the last two years. For the „Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics”, this meant a minimum of 8 reviews in two years. The „Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics” is published online by Elsevier. Its objective is to provide information to an international audience, on all those aspects of wind engineering that are relevant to the activities of the International Association for Wind Engineering. These include: social and economic impact of wind effects; wind characteristics and structure, local wind environments, wind loads and structural response, diffusion, pollutant dispersion and matter transport, wind effects on building heat loss and ventilation, wind effects on transport systems, wind power generation, and codification of wind effects. Read more about the magazine here: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal‐of‐wind‐engineering‐and‐
industrial‐aerodynamics/. We herewith express our sincere congratulations to Dr. Jörg Franke for his remarkable award. Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer 13 Newsletter 01/2015 New Research Article Published by Prof. Hung Prof. Nguyen Dang Hung, Editor‐In‐Chief of the Asia‐Pacific Journal of Computational Engineering (APJCEN), published his first article after becoming affiliated with VGU. To read his article, follow this link: http://www.apjcen.com/content/1/1/11. For your quick reference, Prof. Hung gives an overview of the topic: Application of the duality in the finite element analysis of shell: self‐dual metis planar shell elements In this paper, an application of the duality principle in finite element shell analysis is presented. It is based upon Lure (Prikl. Mat. Mekh, XIV 5, 1958) and Goldenveizer's (Theory of thin shells, Pergamon Press, 1961) theory of thin shells. For the finite element analysis of thin shells, using the stress function, the problem of finding a stress fields in equilibrium and expressing their continuity across the interfaces is shown to be identical to the problem of derivation of conforming displacement fields and vice versa. It appears that one may derive from this concept of duality a new family of shell finite elements: the auto‐dual shell elements. In this paper, we consider a self‐dual flat element for thin shell analysis. This element is based on the already developed and implemented in LTAS department, University of Liège. It was mixed hybrid elements called ‘mixed métis’. Numerical efficiency is demonstrated by means of some examples: cylindrical shell roof simply supported by two diaphragms and submitted to its dead weight and cylinder loaded by two diametrically opposed point loads, clamped hyperbolic shell loaded by uniform normal pressure. Prof. Nguyen Dang Hung, Editor‐In‐Chief of the Asia‐Pacific Journal of Computational Engineering (APJCEN) News from Conferences National Conference “Industrialization and Urbanization in Binh Duong” In March 2015, Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), participated in the National Conference “Industrialization and Urbanization in Binh Duong” organized by the People’s Committee of Binh Duong. He was invited to submit a paper entitled “Sustainable Urban Development in Binh Duong: the Present and Future of a Livable City” and delivered a presentation at the conference on this topic to around 60 participants from Vietnam and authorities at management levels from Binh Duong. Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Conference on Multiphysical Interaction and Environment The first International Conference on Multiphysical Interaction and Environment (ICMINE), in which the VGU was one of the three main partners, was successfully organized at Mekong University, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, from 9th to 10thMarch 2015. Contributing to the conference were VGU's Dr. Joerg Franke (as Chairman) and Assc. Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hung (as key organizing member). The aim of ICMINE‐2015 was to provide a forum for scholars, engineers and policy decision‐makers from Vietnam and other nations to exchange knowledge and experience related to the problems of the Mekong delta region. Today, this region is facing several environmental issues, e.g. landslides, salinity intrusion and water pollution and in part climate change. The technical program had 7 keynote lectures and 33 technical papers. Assc. Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Computational Engineering 14 News letter 01
1/2015 Consensus Buildingg in Asia Consenssus Building iin Asia (CBAssia) is a netw
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minars, somee at the deve
elopment site, tto further un
nderstand the success annd, especiallyy, failures in cooping with the differencces in intereest and preferences. This i s a crucial paart of the current study aarea of SUD program in VG
GU that focuses on new n
govern ance appro
oach and instituutional development for applyingg land readjustment tools in Vietnam. Visit the siite at Kahuku w
wind power plan
nt, Oahu, Haw
waii, USA 24th M
March 2015 D r. Nguyen Nggoc Hieu, Senior le
ecturer in So
ocial Science of Sustainab
ble Urban Deve
elopment Rethinkking Develo
opment Stud
dies in Soutth East Asia
a Representatives from
m VGU participated in thhe conferencce “Rethinking developm
ment studies in South th
th
East Asiaa” on 7 and 8 March 2015. This is an academ
mic event he
eld by Regioonal Center for f Social Science and Sustainaable Development (RCSD
D) of Chiangg Mai Univerrsity, Thailannd, to gatherr over 60 scholars and researcch students from univer sities in the 8 countries in the Sout h East Asia region as working parttners in the UK, Germanny, Australiaa, China, Sou
uth Korea annd Denmarkk. Besides well as w
theoretical debates on further understandin g the global phenomena
a of developm
ment and modernity, participaants shared
d their lessons on hhow to co
ooperate an
nd develop more app
propriate multi‐dissciplinary ap
pproach to trraining and rresearch in tthe issue. This was a goood chance fo
or VGU to share an
nd gain experience on de
evelopment studies and to expand itts academic ccooperation network at the reegional and international scale. D r. Nguyen Nggoc Hieu, Senior lectturer in Sociaal Science off Sustainablee Urban Deve
elopment GAST Trraveling Conference att VGU GAST sttands for German‐ASEA
AN Science &
& Technolo
ogy Networkk. The GAST Travelling Conference C
iis usually he
eld every seecond year at a universitie
es in South East Asia and from differrent German brings together professors p
es. universitties with loccal scientistss from the hhost countrie
The confference is fin
nanced by the German Feederal Ministry of Education and Ressearch (BMBF). In 2014, the title of the GAST Traveling Connference wass „Security in IT‐Systemss“ and it wa
as held at VGU on 27th Octobeer 2014, att Mahidol U
University, Bangkok on 29th Octobeer and at TU
UM Asia, of the Techniische Univerrsität München, Germanyy) on 31st Oct
ctober. Singaporre (affiliate o
15 Newsletter 01/2015 The conference is designed as a one day event in each city and has the same program at all three locations. During the conference, high‐
profile contributions from the respective meeting countries and from Germany are presented. In addition, space is also provided to include presentations by local lecturers at their location in the program. Overall, about 13 ‐ 14 presentations are given in each city. Under the title “Security in IT Systems” the participants focused on the following sub topics: 1. IT/Embedded Systems/ Prof. Otto Spaniol from RWTH Aachen (Rheinisch‐
Car to X Communication Westfälische Technische Hochschule), Germany, lecturing at 2. Cryptology the GAST conference.
3. Security in local networks 4. Trojans and viruses 5. Software to detect malware 6. Honeypots and tarpits From VGU, the academic coordinator of Computer Science, Dr. Michel Toulouse, gave a lecture on “Intrusion Detection in Computer Networks” and VGU's President Prof. Jürgen Mallon gave a welcome speech. The outcomes of the conference can be stated as follows: There is little awareness by the public of IT security. The target of the conference participants is to create a common study program in IT Security. As next step, it is proposed to implement a Project Implementation Unit for the development of this program. Also as an outcome of this GAST Travelling Conference, Dr. Toulouse was invited to give a seminar on “Intrusion Detection in Computer Networks” at Mahidol University in Bangkok in February 2015. Henning Hilbert, Head of Language Center and Foundation Year Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer International Conference “Housing for the poor” On 1st and 2ndOctober 2014, Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), participated in the International Conference “Housing for the poor” organized by the University of Social Science of Ho Chi Minh City with support of the German NGO Rosa‐
Luxemburg‐Stiftung Southeast Asia. He submitted a peer‐review paper entitled “Social housing in Vietnam: concept, policy and practices” and delivered a presentation on this topic to around 80 representatives from Germany and Vietnam, including five of VGU's SUD‐students. Dr. Son's paper was accepted and has been published in Urban Planning journal (a Vietnamese journal) after the conference. Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) 16 Newsletter 01/2015 National Conference “20 years of Urbanization in Southern Vietnam” On 25th November 2014, Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), participated in the National Conference “20 years of Urbanization in Southern of Vietnam” organized by Thu Dau Mot University and the Centre of Urban and Development Studies (CEFURDS) in Binh Duong. He submitted a peer‐reviewed paper entitled “Urbanization and Land Use: an Analysis of Land Conversion in Ho Chi Minh City during the 2000‐2014 Period” and delivered a presentation on this topic to around 100 participants from Vietnam, including seven of VGU's SUD students, who participated in this event. The paper is expected to be published as a chapter in an upcoming book. Group picture at the conference “20 years of Urbanization in Southern of Vietnam” in Binh Duong on 25th November 2014.
Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Roundtable Meeting on Safety of Two‐wheeled Vehicles in Geneva The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe organized a Roundtable Meeting on Safety of Two‐wheeled Vehicles in Geneva (Switzerland) on 23rdMarch 2015. The Director of the Vietnamese‐German Transport Research Center (VGTRC), Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, was invited to talk about motorcycle accidents and solutions in Vietnam. At the meeting, he also proposed a research agenda for creating a favorable environment for safer motorcycling to effectively address the issues of fatal Dr. Vu Anh Tuan at the Roundtable Meeting in Geneva
motorcycle accidents. The proposal has been submitted to the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) of Vietnam for consideration and funding. Dr. Vu Anh Tuan Director of the Vietnamese‐German Transport Research Centre (VGTRC) 17 Newsletter 01/2015 International Symposium on City Planning In October 2014, Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), participated in the 21st International Symposium on City Planning (ISCP) organized by the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association (VUPDA) in Hanoi. He submitted a peer‐
review paper entitled “Property Market and the Development of Vietnamese Metropolis: Spatial Distribution Analysis of Housing Projects in Ho Chi Minh City” and delivered a presentation on this topic. At this symposium, there were around 250 participants in total from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries. The International Symposium on City Planning (ISCP) has been convened since 1994 with a central role played by the City Planning Institute of Japan, Korea Planners Association and Taiwan Institute of Urban Planning. Dr. Pham Thai Son has recently been invited by VUPDA to be a Vietnamese speaker for the next conference in Korea in August 2015. Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities Symposium In September 2014, Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD), participated in the 5thInternational Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities Symposium, organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities of Ho Chi Minh City, where he submitted a peer‐review paper entitled “Urban Morphology, Basic Services and Social Practices. A Case Study of the Narrow–Lane Districts in Hanoi” and delivered a presentation at the conference on this topic. Altogether, there were 150 participants, including representatives from Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Ten of VGU's SUD students also attended this event. The International Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities Symposium is an academic network coordinated by the Yokohama City University which, since 2010, has organized an annual peer‐
reviewed international conference in Asia. Dr. Pham Thai Son, Academic Coordinator of Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Conference “Solutions to Sustain the Urbanization Process” On 16th January 2015, the Social Science and Humanity University and Hanoi National University led a conference on “Solutions to Sustain the Urbanization Process” in Pleiku (central Vietnam) as part of a national research program focusing on sustainable urbanization and management. During the one day event, scholars from several universities and local authorities of Gia Lai province discussed their findings on managing the development and urbanization process in Gia Lai province and Tay Nguyen. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu from VGU chaired the session on urban development management and Seminar setting in Pleiku gave a presentation on ‘Smart development control in the urbanization process in Tay Nguyen’. VGU’s participation continued VGU’s engagement in the exchange of information on urban studies amongst research institutions and contributed to the country’s development. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, Senior lecturer in Social Science of Sustainable Urban Development 18 News letter 01
1/2015 News ffrom Worrkshops Techniccal visits to partner insstitutions in
n Germany
From 244th to 27thMarch M
2015 Dr. Vu Anhh Tuan, Dire
ector of the
e Vietnamesse‐German Transport T
Research
h Center (VG
GTRC), condu
ucted techniical visits to partner institutions in G
Germany to e
exchange research
h and development ideass and get suppport for rese
earch projeccts at VGTRC . Currently the VGTRC
C is implementing a reseaarch project on Quality M
Managementt for Public T
Transport Systems in Asian Devveloping Citiies, granted by Eastern A
Asia Society for Transporrt Studies (EASTS) for a period of 2014‐201
16, so the vissits to the puublic transpo
ort managem
ment authoritties in Darmsstadt City n region, DA
ADINA (Dar mstadt‐Dieb
burger Nahverkehrsorga nisation) and a
RMV and thee Rhein‐Main
Main Verkeh
hrsverbund) were helpfuul to learn about a
German knowhow
w and experience in (Rhein‐M
managin
ng and assuriing the quality for public transport syystems, inclu
uding bus, traam and railw
way. The resea
arch center iis also imple
ementing a projectt called “REEMON ‐ Re
eal Time Monitorin
ng of Urban TTransport ‐ Solutions for Trafffic Manageement and
d Urban Developm
ment in Haanoi” and plans to expand traffic t
manaagement to
o nation‐
wide mottorway netw
work. The vissit to the Hessian public trannsport man
nagement authority,, called Hesssen Mobile, provided very insightful ideas oon how to do
o it. Dr. Tuan’ss visit to Hessen Mobile with D
Dr. Achim Reussswig, Head of Departmeent for Strategic Traffic Managgement Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Directtor of the Vietnam
mese‐Germann Transport Research Centre
e (VGTRC) Seminar on Heritage Conservvation On 10th February 20
015, the Department off Planning and a Architeccture of Ho Chi Minh City (DPA) organizeed a Seminarr on Heritage Conservat ion to consu
ult scholars a
and practitiooners on how
w to deal with thiss issue in thee central area
a of the Ho CChi Minh Cityy. This is a pa
art of a broadder study wh
hich aims at developing a comprehensive
e policy andd measures to control the develo pment with a more appropriate approacch to the currrent develo pment conte
ext. Togethe
er with 12 meembers from
m 3 other universities and 2 schollars from SUD program
m, VGU con
ntributed with to t
this seminar presentationns on insttitutional and econom
mic approach
hes. This is a confirm
mation that VGU will implement tthe provisions of the memoranduum with DPA on research and coo
operation activity whhich was recently signed in earrly 2015. D r. Nguyen Nggoc Hieu, Senior lectturer in Socia
al Science of Sustainab
ble Urban Deve
elopment Model of the central areea of the Ho Chi Minh City in 22015
19 News letter 01
1/2015 Worksh
hop on Tran
nsport Modeling and PPlanning The Viietnamese‐G
German Transport T
Research Center (VGTTRC) organize
ed a joint workshop on “Transsport Mode
eling and Planning with PTV V GROUP software applications” in coooperation with w
PTV th
th
Group on 12 – 13 M
March 2015. The PTV Group provides softw
ware and consulting services for transpport, logisttics and geomarke
eting. The w
workshop introduced the toolss used in modern tra
affic and transport planning to VGU’s master students, transporrt and experts Prof. Jürggen Beyer, form
mer President off PTV Group, is lecturing.
practitione
ers. It pressented best practice examplees on transpo
ort planning,, travel dem and modelin
ng, traffic flow managem
ment, traffic m
modeling and simu
ulations. Thee workshop a
attracted moore than 50 participants. Professor JJürgen Beyerr (Former Vice President of PTTV Group), M
Mr. Nate Cha nchareon (R
Regional Dire
ector at PTV Asia‐Pacific Pty. Ltd.) Vu Anh Tuan
n (Director, T
Transport Reesearch Centtre at VGU) w
were invitedd to give lecttures and and Dr. V
talks at tthe workshop. e‐German Tra
ansport Reseearch Centre
e (VGTRC) Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Dirrector of the Vietnamese
Worksh
hop on Advaanced Computations i n Modern EEngineering
g A Worksshop on Advaanced Computations in M
Modern Engineering (ACM
ME) was heldd at Ho Chi M
Minh City Universitty of Techn
nology and Education oon 7thFebruaary 2015. VGU’s Acadeemic Coordin
nator for Mechatrronics and Sensor S
Syste
em Technoloogy (MSST), Dr. Jörg Fra
anke, togethher with Pro
of. Timon Rabczuk from the Baauhaus‐Univversity‐Weim
mar, Faculty o
of Civil Engin
neering, werre cordially invited to give talkks during this workshop
p. Two mem
mbers of Com
mputational Engineeringg, Assc. Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hu
ung and Dr. TTran Duc Han
n, were co‐orrganizers of tthis worksho
op. The con
ntent of the workshop
p focused on new computationa
al aspects in Engineerring, e.g. Computaational mateerials design of polymer‐‐matrix comp
posites, num
merical uncerrtainty estim
mation for steady laaminar lid drriven cavity fflow, and lim
mit and shake
edown analyssis of structuures. A
Assc. Prof. Ngguyen Xuan H
Hung, Compuutational Enggineering Winter School on M
Modern Nu
umerical Meethods in Engineering Simulationn In Novem
mber 2014 D
Dr. Tran Duc Han and Asssc. Prof. Ngu
uyen Xuan Hung (Compuutational Enggineering) organizeed a worksh
hop named "Winter Scchool on Modern M
Num
merical Methhods in Enggineering Simulatio
on”. The workshop w
was w
open tto the pub
blic and lassted for 5 days, from
m 17th to th
20 Noveember. The w
workshop ha
ad two mainn goals: intro
oducing VGU
U, particularlly the Computational Engineerring study program, p
to selected m embers of the t public and a encoura ging the ne
etworking between
n Vietnamesee researcherrs in the fieldd of computaational engin
neering. The worrkshop focused on two topics: Isoggeometric Analysis A
and the Materiaal Point Me
ethod for Engineerring Problem
ms and were
e taught by Assc. Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hung annd Dr. Tran Duc Han respectivvely. Seventyy people reggistered for tthe event an
nd 40 of them
m were seleccted to participate in the workkshop througgh a careful selection proocess based on their pottential to connduct researrch in the field of eengineering ssimulation as well as theeir potential tto join VGU llater. 20 Newsletter 01/2015 Participants in a group picture with the lecturers and Prof. Mallon The participants were students and lecturers from other universities, researchers and engineers from industrial companies. Most of them live in Ho Chi Minh City, and two participants are from a university in the North of Vietnam. After the workshop, Certificates of Participation were given to the attendants. The participants expressed their wish to have more workshops on other topics organized at VGU in the future. They also expressed their interest in studying at VGU. Twenty‐eight participants filled out the evaluation questionnaire after the course, and the feedback was overall positive. Dr. Tran Duc Han, Academic Coordinator for Computational Engineering Workshop for Laboratory Planning of VGU’s New Campus Held in Boston From 2nd until 6thNovember2014 a workshop was held in Boston, USA, at the premises of Machado and Silvetti Associates (architects for VGU’s new campus) to finalize the laboratory planning for the basic design of VGU's new campus. The delegation from Vietnam consisted of Mr. Nguyen Tien Trieu (Ministry of Education and Training, MOET), Mr. Phan Quang Dung (Project Management Unit, PMU), Mr. Tran Minh Hieu (PMU), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon (VGU), Dr. Ha Thuc Vien (VGU Project Management Unit, VMU), Dr. Jörg Franke (VGU) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hoa (VMU). The delegation was supported by Mr. Harald Clausen (consultant paid by the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts, HMWK, a VGU stakeholder), Dr. Peter Tindemans (consultant paid by VMU) and Mr. Jeff Schantz (laboratory Participants at the workshop for laboratory planning in Boston, USA.
consultant paid by Worldbank). During the workshop room data sheets were created for each laboratory in the new campus, supporting VGU's need for a multi‐functional laboratory design to accommodate the, as yet, unspecified equipment for education and research. With the successful completion of the Room Data Sheets during the workshop in Boston the laboratory planning for VGU’s new campus made a big step forward, allowing the architects Machado and Silvetti Associates to finish the basic design. 21 Newsletter 01/2015 VGU acknowledges the substantial contribution of Mr. Jeff Schantz. Without his competence and experience the result could not have been achieved. Therefore VGU is much obliged to the Worldbank for paying the consulting fee of Mr. Schantz. Dr. Jörg Franke, Academic Coordinator for Mechatronics and Sensor Systems Technology (MSST) Workshop on Human Resources Development for Textile and Clothing Industry In order to define the need for and focus of the Master Program in Textile Engineering, planned to open at VGU in 2017, VGU organized a Workshop on Human Resources Development for Textile and Clothing Industry on 19thMarch 2015 at the Representative Office of World Cat Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City. Attending the conference were about 20 guests, including representatives from universities and colleges, in particular from the University of Technology ‐ Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education (HCMUT), VINATEX Economics ‐ Technical College; from companies, in particular from Puma, Van Laack, Saitex, Decathlon, Thai Tuan Corp., Phong Phu Corp.; and from associations and agencies, in particular Vietnam Cotton and Spinning Association (VCOSA) and from the Center of Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labor Market Information Ho Chi Minh City (FALMI). The Workshop consisted of two parts. Part one included five presentations from VCOSA, Puma, Thai Tuan Corp., and the two most famous engineering universities in Viet Nam (HCMUT and HUST). Part two was an open discussion chaired by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President of VGU. The major findings of the workshop include: 1. There is an increasing demand for highly‐qualified people in the textile industry, especially at FDI companies. 2. Over the last several years, there has been an increase in the number of people studying textile technology at the Master level. 3. In the short term, there will be no manpower needs for high‐tech textile technology in Vietnam. Master training programs for technical textiles should be a mixture of technology and management, with particular attention on issues of sustainable development. It is recommended that the ratio between technological courses and management courses should be 60/40.During the conclusion of the workshop, Prof. Mallon invited the guests to attend another workshop, to be held later in the year, to discuss the curriculum, which will include a combination of technology and management as recommended by the workshop participants. Assc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Thi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering 22 Newsletter 01/2015 Events Students Won 1stPrize in the National Microsoft Imagine Cup Vietnam 2015 VGU is proud to announce that a group of students from our Electrical Engineering program and Computer Science program has won the 1stprize in the Innovation Category in the National Final of Microsoft Imagine Cup Vietnam 2015 on 15th April 2015. Congratulations to Doan Viet Hung (EEIT 2013), Bui Quang Minh (CS 2013), Tran Minh Thang (CS 2013) and Le Dinh An (EEIT 2013) in Atasow team with their Soundhub project. Soundhub is an application that can be installed and run easily on smartphones and other portable devices. The app can replace the complex sound systems which are widely used at present. Besides Atasow team, another group from VGU, named Meleco team with Le Ba Tien Trien (EEIT 2011) and Nguyen Luu Ngoc (FA 2012) also made it to the National Final on 16th April competing in the World Citizenship Category. The members of Team Atasowwith Mr. Francis Nguyen Tuan Anh, representative from Microsoft Vietnam, and their prizes (laptops). Atasow team is now coming to the World semifinal round and if they make it, they’ll go for the World final in Seattle in July. The competition is organized by Microsoft for students from all over the world. Other teams who competed with our students in the Vietnam final consisted of students from different universities and thus, only our students introduced their teams as “coming from VGU”. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Marketing Officer “Academia meets Business” continues the “Praxispartnership & Further Development of Innovation Management” project at Vietnamese‐ German University The Praxispartnership Project promoted innovation management activities for small and medium sized enterprises and was funded by DAAD from 2012 to 2014. This was a joint project between Leipzig University and Vietnamese‐German University for Small and Medium sized enterprises promotion training and received further support by the Vietnam Commerce Industry Chamber (VCCI). The project was structured into three main areas which included praxis projects, entrepreneurship promotion and SME training. After two years, the results of the joint‐project are as follows: 





Successful establishment of the SEPT MBA Program in Ho Chi Minh City Successful establishment of the Best Innovators Award in Ho Chi Minh City 22 Marketing projects realized for SMEs from Vietnam and Germany 16 Innovation projects realized for SMEs from Vietnam and Germany Four training programs in innovation management for SMEs implemented in Vietnam (140 participants) 3 Train of Trainer seminars (Innovation Manager Training) implemented in Vietnam (20 participants) 23 Newsletter 01/2015 Due to the successful implementation of the project, the joint‐partners have submitted a new proposal and been granted approval to prolong the project called “Academic meets Business” which will be funded again by DAAD for the second term from 2015 to 2017. The new project aims to institutionalize the project activities and to secure long‐term sustainability for all activities. Furthermore, the partners want to increase the outreach of the activities, especially in the context of the 40 Years of Diplomatic Relationship Anniversary between Vietnam and Germany in 2015. The two significant activities for the project are holding the Annual Best Innovators Award and setting up the Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Group picture with the delegation from the city of Leipzig, Germany, on April 11th 2015.
The first Best Innovators Award in Ho Chi Minh City was implemented in 2013 with strong support from the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and several Vietnamese private companies. Around 100 innovative ideas were submitted, of which 40 business concepts were developed. Several Vietnamese media outlets reported about the winners, which were presented during an Award Ceremony. There are many successful cases, such as the marketing project for organic melon from Vuong Tron Company, the LED light for tuna fishing from POTECH Company and the initial project for 3D printing from VGU’s MBA students from LOGA3D Company. The awards were decided by a delegation from the City of Leipzig when they visited Vietnamese‐German University on 11thApril 2015. The delegation would like to turn the awards into a joint‐branding activity between the City of Leipzig and Ho Chi Minh City. The coming activities in the collaboration will provide more support for SMEs in the South of Vietnam. In order to make the project sustainable, an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center has been proposed to be established and the entity will hold and implement all activities of the projects by end of 2015. Therefore, those milestones will contribute to the development of Vietnamese‐German University and will act as an example of how a higher education institute in Vietnam can foster the linkages between academia and business. Huynh Dinh Thai Linh, Coordinator for Master of Business Administration Specialized in Small and Medium Enterprises Development (SMEs) 24 Newsletter 01/2015 VGU's Open Day 2015 On Sunday 5th April 2015 more than 250 parents and high school students from throughout Vietnam, including as far away as Hanoi, came to VGU for the day to participate in VGU's Open Day 2015. The Open Day consisted of two different information sessions which gave details of the admission procedure and the four different Bachelor programs. Participants could also take a tour around the campus to visit laboratories, classrooms and booths of student’s clubs. It was a good chance for parents and students to meet with Happy faces at the booth of VGU’s student group and get direct consultancy from VGU’s staff and PRESTO at the Open Day 2015 volunteer students. Nguyen Thi Truc Giang, Marketing Executive WUS/VGU Friendship Association &Toon van der Hoorn Scholarship Granting Ceremony On 20thJanuary 2015 the Toon van der Hoorn and WUS/ VGU Friendship Association Scholarships Granting Ceremony took place at VGU in Binh Duong. The guests of honor, who presented scholarship certificates to a group of 20 students, were Dr. Nguyen Le Hung, the VGU Vice President for Research Affairs, and Mrs. Nguyen Thai, spouse of the late Prof. Toon van der Hoorn who recently passed away. VGU's Ms. Silke Heimlicher, Head of the Department of Academic Affairs, Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, Director of the Vietnamese‐German Transport Research Centre and Coordinator of the Traffic and Transport program, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuong Chau, Deputy Coordinator of the Finance and Accounting program, also attended the ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Ms. Lan Pham Le Quynh, Assistant for Academic Affairs. The Toon van der Hoorn Scholarship aims to support Vietnamese students in the Master program Traffic and Transport who are not able to pay the tuition fees. This scholarship provides monthly living allowances for two students for a two‐year period. The World University Service (WUS) is an Group picture with the guests of honor, Dr. Nguyen Le Hung, the VGU Vice President for international, political Research Affairs, and Mrs. Nguyen Thai, spouse of the late Prof. Toon van der Hoorn. and denominational unaffiliated organization, with representations in more than 50 countries worldwide. WUS regards itself as an international community of students, lecturers and staff in the education sector. “VGU Friendship Association” was founded in May 2013 in Germany, to support VGU by donations coming from industries and private donors. Pham Thuy Linh Chi, Volunteer 25 News letter 01
1/2015 VGU at Fablab Saiggon's Arduino Day On 28thhMarch 201
15, VGU helped FabLLab Saigon (https:///www.fablab
bs.io/fablabsaigon) aand the th
t
80+atten
ndees celebrate the 10 birthday oof Arduino, the smallmicrocontrroller board tthat is used by millions of hobbyyiststhrough
hout the worrld. VGU's coontribution to this event was a presenta
ation by M
Mr. Bradley (Foundation Year Studies), with assistance bby Mr. Nhu and Mr.. Than (EEITT Studies), on how to make and program
m a breadboaard Arduino. This classs not only gaave the participants the knowledge Logo of the A
Arduino Day 20115 and skills to make their own Arduino, A
whhich can be used in their future projects, bu
ut also gave them a han
nds‐on introduction intoo the compo
onents that make up
p a microprocessor board
d. Fifteen kitts were provided by VGU
U, which incluuded a set of parts and a VGU bag with a no
otebook, a pe
en and a broochure aboutt VGU, provided by our m
marketing de
epartment. The partticipants exp
pressed their appreciatioon for the kits and instrruction and tthis event was w a good chance tto let some of Vietnam's future enngineers, as well as the other preseenters, which included owners and engineeers of compa
anies in Vietnnam, learn aabout VGU. A
Anyone inte rested in lea
arning how to makee their own projects or learn aboutt microcontrollers is en
ncouraged too participate
e in future events at FabLab Saigon. Richard
d Bradley, Fu
ull‐time Engliish Language
e Teacher Deutsch
hlandfest (G
German Dayy) 2015 in H
Hanoi VGU was part of the Deutschlanndfest (Germ
man Day) 2015 in Haanoi on 28th March 201 5.It was the
e 4th time that this e
event took place and thiss year, the focus was on the 40
0th anniversa
ary of diploomatic ties between Germany and Vietnam
m. Mr. Thai from Marke
eting and Ms. Tra, Assistant A
to the Presidennt, represen
nted VGU with an exxhibition booth. There w
were a lot of o people interested in VGU, especially in thhe fields of research and teaching, so 200 heavy brochhures were used up. The Germ
man Day was w
organizeed by the German Backdrop of the Deutschlandfest 2015 in Hanoi Embassy in Hanoi as an event too get in touch with German institutions and companies as well as to enjoy the family ffriendly atmoosphere and
d to learn more ab
bout German
n politics and culture. Vo MinhTha
V
i, Head of M
Marketing Dep
partment Kariina Scholz, P
PR‐Officer 26 Newsletter 01/2015 Metalex‐Visit of GPEM classes On 11th October 2014, the two GPEM classes (intakes 2013 and 2014) along with some members of the faculty visited the "Metalex Vietnam 2014" exhibition at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Metalex Vietnam has been the all‐under‐one‐roof meeting event of the manufacturing community since 2007, and helps companies in Vietnam discover how product quality and productivity, as well as production line efficiency can be improved with state‐of‐the‐art machine tools, metalworking machines and electronic manufacturing technologies. During the visit, the students walked through many exhibition kiosks where they had opportunities to learn about various state‐of‐the‐art machine tools and welding machine centers, technology, sheet metalworking, metrology/control measurement, pump and valve, mold and die, wire, tube, and cable technology, etc. The modern machine tools and devices shown are able to process products efficiently and accurately. By observing tools and devices in GPEM class – intake 2014 at "METALEX Vietnam 2014" event
operation and questioning about technological aspects at this exhibition, the students could better understand the theoretical and practical aspects of manufacturing technology. The students were very glad to gain an overview of the tools, devices and technology in industrial fields, which is a valuable preparation for upcoming subjects at VGU. The students thank all GPEM faculty members for the time and effort in organizing and guiding this visit. Huynh Vo Thuc Quyen, Assistant of Academic Affairs Department for BIS ‐ GPEM ‐ FA programs Dr. Carsten Reise, Academic Coordinator for GPEM SantaBot Contest On 13thJanuary, the English for Engineering 2 classes (Technical Writing) showed off their engineering skills by participating in the end‐of‐
class competitions. During the class students worked on small engineering projects and did all the supporting documentation. The theme for this contest was “SantaBot”, a small robot that had to start when a gate was opened, follow a line and put a present under a Christmas tree. The students were not allowed to use commercial kits or a micro‐controller. The English for Engineering 2 class with teacher Richard Bradley
The success of the students in doing their first engineering project shows they have a good future and lays a firm foundation for their future studies. Richard Bradley, Full‐time English Language Teacher 27 Newsletter 01/2015 Creative Marketing Competition A group of students from VGU won the Creative Favourite Award at the Final round of Sun Wah Creative Marketing Competition on 11thJanuary 2015. The competition was an activity in Sun Wah and Friends Social Services and Creativity Day 2015 to encourage students to develop their creativity and innovation to ‘think outside of the box’. VGU team consists of 5 students: Nguyen Minh Vu – Leader, Vu Thanh Thu and Nguyen Ngoc Thien An in charge of designing, Tran Minh Tri and Truong Hoang Hai responsible for marketing plan. With the concept of “Instant coffee The VGU team at the Sun Wah Creative Marketing Competition
redefined”, the group created a new way of making and tasting coffee which is easier, quicker and most importantly more environmentally friendly. With an innovative way of marketing for instant coffee, the team received many compliments from the board of judges and finally won the Creative Favourite Award of the competition. The prize was 5,000,000VND cash and a scholarship for each student to attend the Creative Concept program at WORK Saigon. Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu, Student Affairs Officer New Knowledge Contest “AllesWissen” Premiered at VGU A new contest named “AllesWissen” was hosted in the first semester of academic year 2014/15 with the Final Round in the evening of 21stJanuary 2015. “AllesWissen” was organized by the Student Affairs Department and VGU students with the purpose of creating a general academic playground for VGU students. Its format was the same as Vietnamese famous game show for gifted high school students. The contest tested player’s general knowledge and specialized knowledge for different subjects from social sciences to literature and nature sciences. As an academic contest, an event like that has never been hosted at VGU before, and 45 competitor teams consisting of students from both VGU and EIU took part. The preliminary rounds were hosted in The „AllesWissen“ organizing committee altogether classrooms at VGU in the form of a paper test. From the first 45 competitor teams, the Organization Committee selected 20 teams for the second preliminary round and finally three excellent teams for the Final round. Each team consisted of three members and finished the test together. 28 Newsletter 01/2015 The Final round amongst the three best teams was hosted in the evening of 21stJanuary 2015. Including the audience, there were approximately 100 participants. The Final round went quite smoothly with interesting questions and excellent answers from the competitor teams. The Organization Committee wants to express a big Thank You to the Advising Committee, which were teachers and teaching assistants of VGU, who joined the contest and took part in the evaluation process. Thanks to the Advising Committee, the expertise questions had been well‐evaluated. Apart from the main event, the audience also enjoyed two music performances from the Music Club. In addition, there was an exchange‐with‐audience game at the middle of the event with a very funny game of guessing the name of a film from a short video. The audience joined this game with great enthusiasm. The Final Night ended with certificates handed out to each team, and the champion team received a beautiful hand‐made gift from String Attack Viet Nam – the main sponsor of the contest. The winners held the champion cup up high with great excitement and big applause from the audience. After the event, the Organization Committee received overall positive feedback, but some points will be improved for the next contest. From now on, the “AllesWissen” champion cup will be passed on to the next champion every year. Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu, Student Affairs Officer Christmas Party 2014 The year 2014 concluded with the celebration of “Season’s Greetings”, a party organized by the Student’s event‐group Presto for all students of VGU to celebrate Christmas and to welcome the new year. The party took place on Tuesday, 30thDecember 2014 at VGU's Campus with nearly 300 VGU students, a few EIU students and a few VGU staff and teachers participating. Christmas parties are a popular tradition for students at VGU. The evening started with cakes and traditional mulled wine. Then many well‐dressed couples enjoyed the dancing section. There were both established and spontaneous couples. The event’s highlight of the night was a moment with lanterns Couples enjoyed the dancing session at the party.
(all lights were off). Every person held in their hands a lantern lit with real candles, took a moment to reflect on 2014 and think of the coming year. Presto had also set up a “New Year, New Me”table for everyone to express their New Year’s resolutions and desires in the form of wishes on small notes.To complete this party, some students of VGU and EIU presented performances on stage.Everybody enjoyed the festive evening. Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu, Student Affairs Officer 29 Newsletter 01/2015 Recruitment Activities In the past months, lots of high school students visited VGU’s campus and facilities. They attended an Information Session providing them with information on study programs and VGU's admission. After the session, the students took a tour around the campus, sports center and visited the functional rooms such as classrooms, laboratories, self‐studying room, Music club, Book club and the Robotic Artificial Intelligence Club. They also joined in the exhibition by VGU Robotics and Electronics Club which presented the 3D printer, the BCR Car and the Nova Robot. Here is an overview of the visits, listing name of the school, number of On Jan. 15, 2015, a group of students and teachers from the Practical High School‐
students and date of the HCMC University of Pedagogy visited VGU campus in Binh Duong. visit: ‐ Gia Dinh High School _ 90 students _ 28th October 2014 ‐ VASS High School _ 20 students _ 22nd November 2014 ‐ Marie Curie High School _ 200 students _ 25th November 2014 ‐ Nguyen Huu Huan High School _ 200 students _ 5thDecember 2014 ‐ Vo Minh Duc High School _ 200 students _ 19th December 2014 ‐ Le Quy Don High School _ 400 students _ 27thDecember 2014 ‐ Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted _ 100 students _ 5th January 2015 ‐ Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted _ 20 students _ 7th January 2015 ‐ Luong The Vinh (Dong Nai) _ 100 students _ 10th January 2015 ‐ Practical High School ‐ HCMC University of Pedagogy _ 30 students _ 15th January 2015 Besides these recruitment activities, the Marketing team of VGU took part at several education fairs: ‐ Tuoi Tre Education Fair 2015 _ 18th January 2015 (organizer: Tuoi Tre newspaper) ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair 2015 (organizer: Bao Giao Duc) ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Vo Thi Sau High School _ 10th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Trung Vuong High School _ 12th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Nguyen Huu Huan High School _ 25th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Gia Dinh High School _ 26th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Marie Curie High School _ 26th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Practical High School _ 28th January 2015 ‐ Bao Giao Duc Education Fair _ at Tran Dai Nghia High School _ 29th January 2015 ‐ VTM Education Fair 2015 (organizer: VTM newspaper) ‐ VTM Education Fair _ at Nguyen Du High School _ 17th January 2015 ‐ VTM Education Fair _ at Luong The Vinh High School _ 25th January 2015 ‐ VTM Education Fair _ at Le Hong Phong High School _ 31st January 2015 ‐ Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Education Fair (organizer: Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School) _ 26th January 2015 Nguyen Thi Truc Giang, Marketing Executive 30 Newsletter 01/2015 Staff News Welcoming New Staff Since July 2014 until the editorial deadline of this newsletter, the following positions were filled: Ms. Nguyen Thi My, English Teacher Mr. Le Dinh Than, Laboratory Engineer for Electrical Engineering & Information Technology (EEIT) Ms. Pham Nguyen Thanh Thao, Study Program Assistant EEIT, Mechatronics and Sensor System Technology (MSST), Computer Science (CS) Ms. Pham Quynh Lan, Assistant to Academic Affairs Ms. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy Head of Academic Affairs Dr. Mathias Neukirchen, Vice‐President for Administration Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Dao, Assistant to Vice President for Administration Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, Lecturer for Sustainable Urban Development (SUD) Ms. Lam Buu Kieu, Process Analyst Ms. Truong Tu Nga, Assistant to Vice President for Administration Mr. Nguyen Van Giang, Facility Executive Mr. Luong Tan Vu, Laboratory engineer for MSST Mr. Nguyen Huu Tu, Laboratory engineer for EEIT Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tu, RTA for CompEng Mr. Le Trung Thanh, Lecturer for Finance and Accounting (FA) Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, Procurement Assistant Ms. Karina Scholz, PR‐Officer Ms. Corinna Klimas, Consultant to President Mr. Nguyen Huy Phu, ERP Technical Manager Ms. Le Thi Thanh Hien, ERP Process Manager Ms. Nguyen Le Linh, Executive Assistant to President Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Dao, Assistant to Research Dept Mr. Ho Chi Viet, Research Officer Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Duc, PhD Coordinator Ms. Ngo Thi Anh Tuyen, RTA for Finance & Accounting Mr. Phan Minh Anh Luan, RTA for Global Production Engineering & Management (GPEM) Mr. Pham Thanh Duong, Math Lecturer Ms. Ha Thi Kim Chung, Assistant to Language Department& Foundation Year Dr. Michel Toulouse, Academic Coordinator for Computer Science Ms. Nguyen Minh Hieu, Senior Lecturer for EEIT Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ngan, Procurement Dept. Mr. Nguyen Duc Hieu, RTA in Business Information Systems (BIS) Ms. Le Quynh Nhu, ERP Process Manager in HR Ms. Trinh Thi Bich Khue, Executive Assistant to Dean of Engineering Faculty Ms. Huynh Trinh Bao Tram, PR‐Officer Ms. Le Thi Thanh Dung, ERP Process Manager in Finance Ms. Van Roet, Financial Officer Mr. Henning Roet, Senior Project Manager We wish all newcomers a warm welcome at VGU! 31 Newsletter 01/2015 Prospects and Dates Bachelor Entrance Examination at VGU: 30thand 31stMay 2015 Save the date! The 13thGlobal Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing Technische Universität Berlin and Vietnamese‐German University will jointly organize the 13th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM, http://www.gcsm.eu) from 16th – 18th September 2015 in Binh Duong New City. This conference is sponsored by the International Academy for Production Engineering. GCSM serves as a forum for academics, researchers, and practitioners from international universities, research institutes and industrial companies working on topics related to sustainable manufacturing and will include keynote speeches, panel discussions and parallel session presentations. Topics of the conference include sustainable design, resource efficiency and effectiveness, Life‐Cycle‐Management, Cycle‐Economies, Business‐Models and any manufacturing related aspect that has the potential to increase sustainability. International Chairmen are Prof. Dr. Holger Kohl and Prof. Dr. Günther Seliger. National Chairman is Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon. The conference venue will be the Binh Duong International Convention & Exhibition Center. The conference aims at strengthening relations on sustainable manufacturing in the international network by both scientific/educational and industrial cooperation projects. In 2014, more than 140 participants from 30 countries contributed with 136 submissions. Dr. Carsten Reise, Academic Coordinator of Global Production Engineering and Management Imprint Publisher: VGU – Vietnamese German University Le Lai Street Binh Duong New City, Binh Duong Province www.vgu.edu.vn Editorial Work: Karina Scholz press@vgu.edu.vn Richard Bradley Linh Nguyen Huynh Trinh Bao Tram 32