An Overview of Ton Duc Thang University in the year of 2018

The year 2018 has ended with the efforts of all the TDTU faculty, staff and students; Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU) has achieved very great and encouraging achievements, which help people have more motivation and firm belief in the path to becoming an elite university in the TOP 500 of the world. Here are some photos and typical achievements of TDTU in 2018:

1. The training quality develops sustainably and stably

2018 is the third year that TDTU has been carrying out undergraduate programs following the curricula of the world's best 100 universities. Those namely called from core curricula, course syllabi, text books, reference materials, support facilities to teaching and assessing methods are applied in accordance with international standards. TDTU students are completely confident when participating in the global labor market as well as continuing to pursue graduate studies at foreign universities.

In July 2018, TDTU officially became an Associate Member of ASEAN University Network - Quality Assurance (AUN-QA); and has prepared requirements for the verification of 04 undergraduate programs in 2019.

Students' English skills have been greatly enhanced. In the graduation periods in September 2018, 31% of graduates had obtained the international English qualification equivalent to higher level B1 of CEFR or more.

The most obvious demonstration of the training quality is that 100% of students have a job within 1 year of graduation. This is the highest rate ever in the country. All businesses receiving TDTU students highly appreciatethe professional ethics, discipline, politeness and responsibility of TDTU students.

At the graduate level, the number of graduate and doctoral students has increased with the quality of the admissions. Post-graduate training management activities are professionalized; programs have also been adapted to the world's top universities; teaching and learning is conducted in Vietnamese and English with the participation of many foreign professors; specialized scientific databases are available through the online and digital library system.

In 2018, the preparatory work for the Vietnam Finland International School (VFIS) was basically completed to prepare for the first student admission in August 2019. On December 8 of 2018, the 2nd Finnish School Day was held successfully with 2 demonstration classes of 40 students directly delivered by Finnish teachers. The seminar on Finnish education was also held on the same day with the attendance of more than 200 guests, parents, educational managers and primary teachers.

2. Science and technology continue to lead the country in every criterion

In 2018, TDTU published 1,037 new scientific articles on the Web of Sciences (ISI), bringing the total number of scientific articles published in the ISI list to 2,172 in the last five years. If calculated according to Scopus Database, in 2018, TDTU published 1,323 new research projects, bringing the total number of Scopus projects to 2,638 in five years.

Scopus database shows that TDTU ranks first in the whole country according to all 3 ranking criteria: TOP 20science and technology establishments in Vietnam have the most publications; TOP 20 universities in Vietnam have the most journal articles; and the TOP 20 Vietnamese universities have the most cited publications in total. These figures firmly affirm Vietnam's number one position of TDTU's science and technology in all aspects.

Among them, many of TDTU's research articles are published in premium journals such as Land Degradation and Development, Trends in Plant Science, Progress in Energy and Combustion Science.

Besides the achievements in quantity and quality of scientific publication, many other science and technology events have affirmed TDTU's name in the international arena such as: The first TDTU Prize of Science and Technology (TDTU Prize) has been awarded to four scientists having made the most positive contributions to the development of science and technology worldwide; TDTU's Journal of Information and Telecommunications (JIT)has been included in the ASEAN Scientific Citation System (ACI); Many TDTU scientists have been awarded world-class awards/honors such as TDTU Prize's Lifetime Achievement Award, Alexandre Yersin Award of the Swiss Medical Association - Vietnam, Excellent Award for Research by University of Technology Sydney and many other noble awards, etc.

3. Internationalization activities develop quickly and diversely

In 2018, TDTU officially entered the period of full and faster international integration through the continuous expansion of cooperation, educational collaboration, academic exchange and research cooperation with the TOP 500 world universities; building an identity and reputation in the international university community.

Cooperation programs with foreign universities such as student exchanges, interns, summer camps, short-term courses, etc. are trusted by students and parents. Educational collaboration programs in the form of transferring study campuses awarding single degrees and double degrees with traditional partners that have been expanded in size and quality.

Throughout the year, TDTU welcomed 875 international students to study and exchange culture; sent more than 400 students to continue their second study phase, one-semester study, internship and cultural exchange at foreign universities; as well as welcomed many international delegations to visit and work. TDTU has signed additional cooperation agreement with 17 new partners, bringing the total number of international partners to collaboration programs with the university to 140.

It is important that by the end of 2018, TDTU has doctoral students and students from 17 different countriesworldwide participating in the postgraduate programs. The university has been really successful (and is on the way of thriving) to build TDTU into a multicultural educational institution and an academic community of the world.

4. TDTU's international position is spectacularly growing

In 2018, TDTU's international rankings continued to grow steadily with a series of achievements at the end of the year. In July of 2018, TDTU was accredited and recognized by the High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) of the Republic of France (that means TDTU meets the university's standards of Europe).

Also in July of 2018, TDTU became the first university in Vietnam to be rated 4 out of 5 stars according to QS Stars Ratings standards. In particular, TDTU's criteria for facilities, student support, education quality and internationalization are all rated highly 5 stars.

In October of 2018, TDTU was ranked among 291-300 in Asia's TOP 500 universities by QS Asia University Rankings.

In November of 2018, the World University Rankings by Academic Performance (URAP) announced the ranking of 2,500 world leading universities in 2018-2019 in which TDTU ranked 2nd in Vietnam and 1,422nd in the world.

In December of 2018, UI Greenmetric World University Rankings (UI GreenMetric) announced TDTU ranked 182 out of 719 universities in 81 countries around the world for sustainable universities. TDTU participated in this ranking for the first time in 2016 with the position of 156 out of the top 516 leading universities in the world. In 2017, there were 103 more universities participating in the ranking, TDTU was ranked 245 out of 619. In 2018, although the top 100 leading universities in the world participated which brings the total number of ranked tertiary institutions to 719, TDTU's ranking has grown spectacularly to 182.

These achievements continue to affirm that TDTU is international and on par with many world-renowned universities, and overcomes many long-standing universities in the region.

6. The policy of sustainable development is effectively implemented

In January of 2018, the first products of the Smart Agricultural Research and Application Garden by the Smart Agricultural Research and Application Team (SARAT) were officially launched to consumers. SARAT conducts research, applies the latest technologies to breeding, cultivation, quality control, monitoring, management, standardization of agricultural product outputs according to 5 requirements: "Clean, high nutrition, international standards, optimal efficiency, intelligent administration".

The work of collecting and treating rainwater for drinking water supply at multifunctional gymnasium was inaugurated on August 8th, 2018. The project uses advanced, modern and specially designed technologies and will be a typical model to support research on rainwater collection and reuse. It was founded in cooperation with Seoul National University, and the Korean National Assembly.

Research projects on sustainable development by lecturers and students have also been seriously invested and brought about good results: research on noise pollution in Ho Chi Minh City was presented at the Conference on sustainable development in Nanjing, China; The projects named "Biogas recovery from food waste of TDTU canteen"; "Designing sustainable energy networks for rural communities"; "Application of environmentally friendly technology to control water quality in canals at TDTU"; "Treating domestic waste into organic fertilizer"; etc. are highly appreciated for their practicality and good effectiveness for the community.

TDTU's determination in sustainable development policy has brought about important results recognized by the community through the Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations awarded the certificate of "Environmentally Friendly Campus"; and most recently, the UI GreenMetric organization ranked TDTU 182/719 the world's most sustainable university. 

7. Collaborating and cooperating better with closely business and friendly local networks

In 2018, TDTU's friendly business network is expanding through signing and implementing programs with more than 1,000 enterprises.
TDTU organizes 02 job fair days attracting nearly 100 participating enterprises and more than 5,000 turns of TDTU students’ visits for consulting and submitting applications on the spot. Especially, during the job fair held on December 1st of 2018, the "Ton Duc Thang University-Industrial Park" Career Fund was established with the aim of helping students to overcome difficulties and study well. 40 scholarships were awarded with a total value of VND 225 million. 

Cooperating with enterprises is an important strategy of TDTU in order to associate teaching-learning and applied research, and to transfer between the university and businesses, thereby implementing a commitment to ensure 100% of graduates having jobs.

Besides cooperation with enterprises, TDTU also strongly implemented comprehensive cooperation with provinces. By the end of 2018, TDTU has signed comprehensive MoU with four friendship provinces. In 2018, TDTU implemented many important support programs for the provinces, especially the organization of the International Investment Promotion Conference in Gia Lai Province, the European Business Collaboration Program with Binh Dinh Province. Three-way cooperation model called universities, businesses and local authorities is an initiative that TDTU has launched and successfully implemented for the responsibility of supporting sustainable development for the provinces having full cooperation with TDTU.

8. Starting huge and modern construction

During the year, TDTU started construction of many big projects such as Vietnam Finland International School (VFIS); Dormitory and Center for National Defense and Security Education; Construction of two bridges connecting TDTU Zone 2 and 3 through Tu Dinh Canal; Construction of Embankment to protect Tu Dinh Canal; Construction of An Giang campus in Chau Thanh District, An Giang Province; Construction of 1B Dormitory in Bao Loc campus. These projects promise to bring another dimension to TDTU in the new year of 2019 with modern, civilized and comfortable facilities to promote education and science-technology to achieve even greater achievements. 

9. Corporative activities are more creative

In 2018, the university’s Trade Union, TDTU’s Youth Union and Student Association are all honored to be awarded the title of Excellent Completion Unit with many activities that are constantly being diversified. A number of typical activities such as: "Early Tet" 2018; Vietnamese traditional music night; Traditional camp 2018; Sports Camp "TDTU Games 2018"; Ho Chi Minh City Student Football Championship in the 2017-2018 academic year; TDTU Lecturers and Staff’s Performing Music Festival 2018; "Weapons" for "Start-up warriors" seminar; International Cultural Day & Music Festival; etc.

In addition, more than 90 clubs/ teams/ groups are working actively on a daily basis at the university, which not only creates a rewarding playground after every hour of intensive work and study but also is the opportunity to promote the forte and giftedness of each lecturer, officer, and student; increasing internal solidarity and contributing to building a civilized, emotional and disciplined TDTU environment.

10. TDTU culture continues to be strengthened and developed

With the viewpoint that each lecturer, officer, student is a TDTU ambassador, the university constantly strives for building a cultural foundation: Quality and trust; ensure the principle of effectiveness, fairness and stability. On June 14, 2018, Ton Duc Thang University officially announced its motto, symbol and identities as following:

• TDTU motto: Light from here shall illuminate the entire universe.
• A Mascot symbol: The wise cat.
• Lecturers and staff’s identification characteristics: Fairness; Effectiveness; Devotion.
• Students’ identification characteristics: Discipline; Politeness; Professionalism; Creativity; Devotion.

Every TDTU student is always imbued with moral lessons with three core things: achieving good learning results as filial duties to parents; respecting the laws and regulations of the university; knowing and caring for others and community.

Also in 2018, the TDTU students’ Code of Conduct was officially issued. This is the basis for all students to adjust their daily behavior, self-improvement; practicing virtuous habits in a systematic way to ensure becoming a patriotic and loyal citizen to the law; a globally successful citizen.

Ton Duc Thang University happily greets 2019 with new aspirations and goals. All lecturers, officials and students are increasingly confident in the ability of TDTU to become the world's elite university striving (i) for the teaching-learning-research with more effectiveness, higher quality and responsibility, (ii) for world peace and happiness and (iii) for sustainable and prosperous Vietnam.

From: TDTU