Newsletter 02/2015 - Vietnamese

Newsletter 02/2015
Newsletter 02/2015
Contents
Editorial
2
News from the Campus
3
New Department for Industrial Relations and Technology Transfer Established
3
Preparations Started to Implement New Campus Management Software
3
Graduation Ceremony and Signing of MoU with Bosch Celebrated
5
Seventh University Council Meeting Took Place in Germany
7
Automation Development for Nghia Nippers
7
Bachelor Meets Business Program Revived
8
MSST Associates Investigate Environmental Process Problems at Swine Farm
9
News from Research
10
Angelina Nhat Hanh Le Assigned As Associate Editor of World Journal of Management
10
Deputy Head of Academic Affairs Takes Part in DIES UNILEAD- Training Course
10
New Research Article Published by Dr. Vinh
11
News from Conferences
12
th
International Representatives from Science and Industry Will Attend the 13 Global Conference on
Sustainable Manufacturing
12
International Conference on “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area”
13
News from Workshops
14
Process of Accreditation of Sustainable Urban Development is Ongoing in Germany
14
Seminar on the First International CubeSat Constellation by Prof. Vo Bich Hien
15
National Instruments Workshop on Labview Software for MSST and EEIT Students
16
Lean Management Training Class
16
Human Resources Training and Education Cooperation for Transport and Logistics Industry
17
Public Transport Development in Vietnam: Challenges and Opportunities
18
Workshop on Lecturer Recruitment and Research Development in Germany
19
Events
Seventh Supervision Mission of World Bank
20
20
1
Newsletter 02/2015
Board of Directors of VGU Consortium Reelected at Meeting of Members
21
VGU and Adidas co-host branding day
21
Foundation Year Students Presented English Skills in Fair
22
VGU Bloodrive
23
Super Fair 2015
23
Swimming Club’s Pool Party
24
Staff News
Welcoming New Staff
Prospects and Dates
25
25
26
Save the Date: Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing
26
Save the Date: International Conference “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area”
26
Editorial
Dear readers,
Just a relatively short time has passed since we sent you the last VGU Newsletter, and now here we
are back again with a new issue full of news from our study programs, campus life, research
development, staff recruitment and other exciting projects and seminars. In the meantime, VGU has
reached the amazing number of more than 1,000 students and the university council approved plans
for 23 study programs at VGU until the year of 2121.
In this newsletter edition, we are delighted to announce the start of two very important projects at
VGU. One is the foundation of the new Department for Industrial Relations and Technology Transfer,
with Dr. Michael Braun as Head of Department, and the other one is the start of the preparations for
the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for VGU’s administration, which
will ensure an integrated management and an increase of efficiency in almost all areas of the
university. Read more about these projects on pages 3 and 4.
Another important development and cause for celebration is the newly sealed co-operation between
VGU and Bosch. On the festive occasion of the graduation ceremony, when 38 graduates from 6 study
programs received their degrees, VGU’s President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, the Managing Director of
Bosch Vietnam, Mr. Vo Quang Hue and the Managing Director of Robert Bosch Engineering and
Business Solutions Vietnam Co. Ltd., Mr. Guru Mallikarjuna, signed a Memorandum of Understanding
to confirm the framework of their co-operation in a wide variety of topics. Read more about this event
on page 5.
Furthermore, there is news from special seminars and outings as well as detailed information on the
upcoming 13th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM) and an international
conference on the future of Ho Chi Minh City, which VGU will be hosting in September.
Enjoy reading!
As always, if you have any comments or feedback to this newsletter, we appreciate hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President of VGU
2
Newsletter 02/2015
News from the Campus
New Department for Industrial Relations and Technology Transfer Established
The newly created department for Industrial Relations and Technology Transfer was established on 1st
June 2015 to help develop systematically VGU’s relations with current and future partners in industry
and in other sectors. For a leading research university like VGU, scientific research is its top priority,
but with the university’s growing pool of scientific knowledge, new technologies and state-of-the-art
teaching, VGU will grow also more and more into the role of a teaching/training, research and
technology partner for enterprises and other organizations. But this requires that VGU develops its
capabilities in technology transfer, understands the needs of research partners, of users of newly
developed technologies and of potential employers, so that VGU can focus on those science- and
technology-based services and make sure that its graduates have the qualifications which the labor
market requests.
For this, the new department will focus on building excellent relations with current and potential
partners, on developing at VGU the competencies and capacities which are necessary for professional
knowledge and technology transfer, on helping to develop the market for VGU’s services and qualified
graduates and on initiatives to develop ‘win-win’ opportunities in these domains for VGU and its
partners. To achieve maximum leverage, VGU cooperates in this domain also with vocational training
institutions which are supported by the German development cooperation.
To implement this cooperation and to ensure a successful ‘kick-start’ of this
initiative, VGU and GIZ co-financed an experienced expert in technology,
innovation and research management and technology transfer, Dr. Michael
Braun, who will head temporarily as an Integrated CIM Expert the new
department and take the lead in its development. Dr. Braun has more than
20 years of international working and consulting experience with enterprises,
universities, research organizations and government institutions, including
four years in Vietnam. If you have any inquiries or are interested in
developing research and technology transfer partnerships or other types of
science-industry in collaboration with VGU, please do not hesitate to contact
Dr. Braun at [email protected].
Dr. Michael Braun, new
Head of Department for
Industrial Relations and
Technology Transfer
Karina Scholz, PR-Officer
Preparations Started to Implement New Campus Management Software
The Vice President for Administration Dr. Neukirchen has not only obtained a large grant of money to
support a project at VGU, he has also assembled a suitable team.
The administration of VGU shall receive a business process management software, which will insure
an integrated management of many different aspects of the university such as financial management,
human resources, room planning and all aspects of the student’s life cycle – starting with the interest
for the university and ending with Alumni-management. Such a system (Enterprise Resource Planning,
ERP) increases efficiency in almost all areas and is sustainably constructed to manage the targeted
growth of VGU in the next years. The initiated STEP (Starting The ERP Processes) project will prepare
the base for the technical implementation through a launch of business process management.
Scheduled going live of the ERP system depends on the release of World Bank funds.
ERP software typically consists of multiple enterprise software modules that are individually
purchased, based on what best meets the specific needs and technical capabilities of the organization.
Each ERP module is focused on one area of business processes, such as Finance & Accounting or
3
Newsletter 02/2015
Procurement. A business can use ERP software to manage back-office activities and tasks including the
following:
Distribution process management, supply chain management, services knowledge base, configure,
prices, financial data, automate employee life-cycle, standardize student lifecycle management,
reduce redundant tasks, assess business needs, accounting and financial applications, lower
purchasing costs, manage human resources and payroll.
The basic goal of using an enterprise resource planning system is to provide one central repository for
all information that is shared by all the various ERP facets to improve the flow of data across the
organization.
Dr. Neukirchen was able to win a strong partner for this project at VGU, MACH AG from Germany. The
software and business consulting company from Lübeck and the DEG (German Investment and
Development Company) could both be convinced by Dr. Neukirchen to invest in this trend-setting
project, so that together they supported the project with more than 300,000 Euro.
"I'm very happy and grateful that members of the University Council have actively supported this idea.
My special thanks go to the Parliamentary State Secretary, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, who campaigned for
this project when he visited VGU in spring 2015, and to Mr. Klaus-Peter Willsch, Member of Parliament.
We are also grateful to the MACH AG for their commitment and entrepreneurial courage and are
pleased that the German Investment Development Company could be convinced of the usefulness and
eligibility of this project ", said the Vice President of Administration, Dr. Neukirchen.
Over the next two
years, the project
team
aims
to
holistically organize
and modernize VGU’s
administration.
The
planned
implementation of a
systematic
process
management and an
ERP system brings
VGU a big step
towards being a role
model in the field of
university
administration.
"The STEP project at
the VGU is an
ambitious
and
innovative
project.
Group picture of the project team in the courtyard of VGU
Therefore, it is selfevident for an equally ambitious and innovative company, such as the MACH AG, is needed to
participate in such a large and well-established project and promote it by all means", says the project
manager of the MACH AG, Torben Hingst.
The STEP team, which started work in early May, consists of three consultants of MACH AG and
experienced VGU-staff that were selected from each department. Together the team has the
necessary skills, knowledge and passion to create the technical requirement so that VGU’s
management may soon compete on an international level.
4
Newsletter 02/2015
"With the new system and optimized process management, some changes will definitely take place at
VGU. Initially, these will be very unusual, but are of urgent need in order to permanently guarantee
the standard of VGU as an excellent university. The success of this project is not only of utmost
importance to the Presidential Board, but also to the dedicated STEP team and every associate of VGU,
because every employee and student will benefit from it! “, said Dr. Henning Roet, Head of STEP
project.
Dr. Mathias Neukirchen, Vice President for Administration
Dr. Henning Roet, Senior Project Manager
Graduation Ceremony and Signing of MoU with Bosch Celebrated
On 22nd May 2015, VGU’s President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon and Vice-President Dr. Nguyen Le Hung
awarded degrees to 38 master and bachelor graduates from 6 study programs in Ho Chi Minh City. At
the same time, the official confirmation of VGU’s co-operation with Bosch Vietnam Co. Ltd. was
celebrated. The representatives of VGU and Bosch signed a Memorandum of Understanding. On this
occasion, in order to mark for the co-operation, Bosch agreed to provide up to ten scholarships for
VGU students.
The graduates of VGU were each
awarded a German degree from
VGU’s
partner
universities.
Congratulations to all of them on
this great success!
15 graduates received the title
Master of Business Administration
Specialized in Small and Medium
Sized Enterprises Development
(MBA SEPT) in co-operation with
the University of Leipzig. Nine
graduates were awarded a Master
degree in the study program Traffic
and Transport (TaT) in co-operation
with the Technical University of
VGU’s Vice-President Dr. Nguyen Le Hung awarding a degree to a graduate
and handing over flowers
Darmstadt.
Seven graduates completed the
Master program Mechatronics and Sensor Systems Technology (MSST), which is run by the Hochschule
Karlsruhe - University of Applied Science.
Five graduates received the title Master of Business Information Systems (BIS), which is offered in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Heilbronn and the University of Applied Sciences
Furtwangen. One graduate completed the Master program Computational Engineering (CompEng),
operated by the Ruhr-University Bochum and one graduate completed the Bachelor program Electrical
Engineering and Information Technology (EEIT), which is run in co-operation with the Frankfurt
University of Applied Sciences.
The President of VGU, Prof. Mallon, and Mr. Vo Quang Hue, Managing Director of Bosch Vietnam,
officially agreed to deepen their co-operation in the fields of research, internships and theses.
Furthermore Bosch agreed to provide up to ten scholarships for students starting in the Bachelor of
Science program Mechanical Engineering of VGU. Each scholarship is provided over four years with a
sum of 1,000 USD / year and a job offer to the scholarship holders with a three year work contract.
This will be a great job opportunity for students meanwhile studying in university.
5
Newsletter 02/2015
During the past years, almost all VGU graduates are employed by multi-national companies,
international organizations in Vietnam and many countries in the European Union. Some others
continue their higher level research as well as received scholarships for studying in European countries.
VGU-President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon together with Managing Director of Bosch Vietnam, Mr. Vo Quang Hue, Plant
Manager of Bosch Gasoline Systems in Dong Nai, Mr. Ryosuke Masumitsu (right), and Managing Director of Robert Bosch
Engineering and Business Solutions Vietnam Co. Ltd., Mr. Guru Mallikarjuna, as well as Mr. Michael Lübbecke,
Commercial Director of Bosch Gasoline Systems plant in Dong Nai (left).
Within his speech at the signing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon said that “VGU is on a good way to
realize the vision of Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, one of the universities’ founding fathers, to become
a leading university in Vietnam by offering excellent teaching and research environment, as well as
building up close collaboration with industry and government. This we see as our responsibility to
contribute to the socio-economic development of Vietnam. VGU is continuously searching for cooperation with leading companies to create more opportunities for our students and lecturers.”
The achievements that VGU reached so far could not have been realized without the continuous
encouragement from the Ministry of Education and Training under the leadership of Minister Prof. Dr.
Pham Vu Luan. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Mallon exclusively expressed his sincere thanks for this ongoing
support.
Besides, Mr. Vo Quang Hue expresses that “Vietnam is the first country in Southeast Asia region in
which the Robert Bosch Group has a closed system with manufacturing plants, research centers and
product distribution. So, Bosch in particular needs more engineers to meet our increasing demands,
as well as the Vietnamese industry in general. Understanding the needs of industry, VGU has focused
even more on sustainability in education and research with a core competence in high-tech
engineering. Together with highly qualified lecturers and the support from German university partners
VGU offers a kind of development expertise unmatched and unrivalled in Vietnam. This we highly
appreciate and is one core aspect in Bosch’s decision to cooperate with VGU more closely.”
To celebrate the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between VGU and Bosch, there were
also present: Mr. Guru Mallikarjuna, Managing Director at Robert Bosch Engineering and Business
Solutions Vietnam Co. Ltd, Michael Lübbecke, Commercial Director of Bosch Vietnam and Mr. Ryosuke
Masumitsu, Plant Manager of Bosch Gasoline Systems plant in Long Thanh, Dong Nai province.
Bosch Vietnam Co., Ltd. is a leading global supplier of technology and services. Bosch in Vietnam is a
key contributor to the growth of the Bosch Group, and a major manufacturing and R&D hub for Bosch
6
Newsletter 02/2015
in Southeast Asia. By 2019, Bosch Vietnam Co., Ltd. will be seeking more mechanical engineers for the
high-tech manufacturing plant in Dong Nai Province, Software and Engineering R&D center and
Automotive R&D center in Ho Chi Minh City.
Karina Scholz, PR-Officer
Seventh University Council Meeting Took Place in Germany
The members of the university council of VGU came together for their seventh meeting on June 3 rd in
Frankfurt, Germany. The university council is meeting annually and is the highest decision-making body
of VGU with an equal number of ten German and Vietnamese members. Chairman is the Vietnamese
Minister for Education and Training, Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Luan and Deputy Chairman is the Hessian
Minister of Science, Mr. Boris Rhein.
In Frankfurt, the council members from
Vietnam and Germany discussed important
topics for the further development of VGU.
Minister Rhein said he was very happy to
welcome Prof. Luan as the meeting’s leader in
Frankfurt. He declared that VGU’s aims are to
promote excellent training of students, to
foster the modernization of Vietnam and to
strengthen the research skills of young
Vietnamese scientists. The university’s council
members also took a tour around VGU’s
partner university, the Goethe University
Group picture of the university council members in Frankfurt,
Frankfurt. The council members were
Germany.
Picture by: Martin Joppen
impressed by the modern facilities and are now
looking even more forward to the construction of VGU’s new campus.
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President
Automation Development for Nghia Nippers
The well-known company Nghia Nippers (http://nghianippers.com) is a manufacturer in Vietnam of
superior nail and beauty care implements (including manicure and pedicure, tweezers, grooming
scissors, travel sets). With its origin and
factories in Vietnam, Nghia has
become one of the premier brands in
Asia over the last 20 years. The
company is on the way to enter the
international market and therefore
wants to improve its quality. Currently,
the manufacturing of their products is
done mostly manually. The technical
director from Nghia Nippers, Mr.
Nguyen Tan Luan, is looking for
automation fabrication processes and
so has contacted VGU.
The Master Program Mechatronics and Visit of VGU representatives at Nghia Nippers’ factory
Sensor System Technology (MSST) has
been given a requirement from Nghia Nippers to build up automation devices (robot arm, 3-D
7
Newsletter 02/2015
automation machines). These devices will be set in the manufacture process to carry out such steps as
punching out and cutting high-temperature sheet metal.
The technical director from Nghia Nippers, Mr. Nguyen Tan Luan, and Senior Lab Engineer Le Duy Can
from the MSST study program are working together on creating the technical specifications for the
necessary automation right now. This co-operation is a technical service of MSST consisting of
hardware and software development.
Dr. Nguyen Le Hung, Vice President for Research
Le Duy Can, MSST Study Program, Senior Lab Engineer cum Teaching Assistant
Bachelor Meets Business Program Revived
In all of VGU’s study programs outings to industrial partners or networking events play an important
role. The bachelor study program Finance & Accounting (FA) has its own program to coordinate those
outings and events, named Bachelors meet Business, or BmB for short. The ultimate goals of this
program are to introduce VGU students to large corporations, help them to develop a career network
and to create jobs and internship opportunities. This program paused for a while due to personal
changes, but is now revived and will soon be opened for students from all study programs at VGU. The
organizers of BmB are the Student Affairs department together with the student’s “Group of
Accounting and Finance (GAF)”.
After the organizers had officially
claimed the rights to host BmB trips,
they kickstarted a new season with their
first trip: a visit to Vietcombank
Securities Company (VCBS) in Ho Chi
Minh City, on April 15th 2015. This visit
received
overwhelmingly
positive
reaction from the students, with over 70
participants signing up.
Students were eager to ask questions at their visit to Vietcombank
Securities on April 15th.
Warmly welcomed by the staff and
heads of departments at VCBS, VGU
students were guided through the
offices and had an intensive discussion
with the staff members about company
culture, challenges and opportunities
when working at VCBS.
This trip has given everybody a deeper and better understanding about the professional working
environment in the financial field in Vietnam. After the visit, GAF was delighted to receive many
favorable comments from students. There is always room for improvements, but GAF is optimistic they
will be able to continue the Bachelors meet Business program in the future.
Dr. Ha Thuc Vien, Vice President for Student and Academic Affairs,
Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu, Student Affairs Officer
8
Newsletter 02/2015
MSST Associates Investigate Environmental Process Problems at Swine Farm
In May 2015, VGU was honored to welcome Prof. Jan Hoinkis from the Karlsruhe University of Applied
Science, Germany, as a visiting lecturer for the Master Program Mechatronics and Sensor Systems
Technology (MSST). Prof. Hoinkis gave a lecture on Environmental Process Technology. During his stay
at VGU, Prof. Hoinkis and two Lab Engineers, Mr. Le Duy Can and Mr. Luong Tan Vu, from MSST
program made a field trip to a swine farm in Binh Phuoc province on May 6 th 2015. Their goal was to
investigate specific problems related to industrial wastewater. This particular farm in Binh Phuoc
province was chosen, because Mr. Luong Tan Vu luckily knows the owner and knows that he wants to
invest in a new swine farm with a new wastewater treatment plant.
The current farm has more than 11,000 pigs for commercial
purposes. The factory is designed as a closed system with
adaption to each pig’s character to improve the manufacturing
condition. The wastewater treatment plant has a capacity of
350m3/day. The sewage purification system has two main
processes included biogas and aeration. For the MSST associates,
it is important to define the quality of wastewater since, if the
wastewater is classified as type A, it can be freely discharged into
a river or the environment. But if it is type B, it depends on the
size and the flow rate of the river, or alternatively, this
wastewater can be used for irrigation. At this swine farm, the
effluent type is type B which means it can be disposed in the
environment or can be used for irrigation.
However, type B still causes some issues when being discharged
into a river because it depends on the regulation of local
authorities. Therefore, for the sustainable development, the
future project of MSST together with the farm owner is improving Mr. Tan Vu Luong, Lab engineer, taking a
the effluent type to A and applying a membrane bioreactor (MBR) sample of swine manure.
to reduce the operation cost. The MBR is a technology that uses
membranes to improve the performance of the treatment
process in comparison to the conventional system. In addition, it
is also uses zero-energy as it reuses the produced bio-gas.
The trip was very productive and supportive for the MSST program. MSST got a promise from the
owner that he will provide financial support for this research.
Dr. Nguyen Le Hung, Vice President for Research
Tan Vu Luong, Lab Engineer - Environmental Eng. & Chemical Analytics Laboratory, MSST
9
Newsletter 02/2015
News from Research
Angelina Nhat Hanh Le Assigned As Associate Editor of World Journal of Management
Mrs. Angelina Nhat Hanh Le, Senior Lecturer of VGU’s program Master of Business Administration in
Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Development (MBA), has been assigned to be an associate editor
for the World Journal of
Management, which is indexed by
Cabell's Directory of USA, and ERA
(Excellence in Research for
Australia) List of the Australian
Research Council. Mrs. Angelina
Nhat Hanh Le was selected by
application in recognition of her
publications,
outstanding
achievement and contribution to
the body of knowledge. Pictured is
the certificate for her editorship,
which Mrs. Le received in April
2015.
Congratulations on behalf of the
Presidential Board and staff of
VGU!
The aim of the World Journal of Management (WJM)) is to publish scholarly work that contributes to
the body of knowledge. It publishes both theoretical and empirical scholarly papers and case studies
relating to broad filed of General Management, Human Resource Management, Operations
Management and Dynamics, Strategic Management, Leadership & Change, Business Ethics and all
other issues relating to management. Another aim is to create modern literature relating to above
fields of research. Here is the link to the journal’s website: http://www.wjmpapers.com.
Dr. Nguyen Le Hung, Vice President for Research
Karina Scholz, PR-Officer
Deputy Head of Academic Affairs Takes Part in DIES UNILEAD- Training Course
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Carl von Ossietzky
University of Oldenburg, Germany, offered Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy
Head of the Department of Academic Affairs, a scholarship to participate in
the DIES UNILEAD-South-East Asia Training Course taking place from May
11th to December 11th, 2015. The intensive training course is part of the
DIES program (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies), which
has been jointly coordinated by the DAAD and German Rectors’ Conference
(HRK) since 2001 (http://www.daad.de/dies).
More information on the UNILEAD course can be found at
http://www.unilead.uni-oldenburg.de.
Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan,
Deputy Head of the
Department of Academic
Affairs
Dr. Lan’s application was selected on a competitive basis as one of 25
participants by a committee of professional experts of Higher Education
Management and Research. The scholarship is administrated by the DAAD
and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ).
10
Newsletter 02/2015
Most of the course has been delivered online, but there are two contact phases. The first contact phase
will be hosted by SEAMEO Regional Training Center in Ho Chi Minh City from August 10 th to August
21st, 2015, and the second contact phase will be held from December 7th to December 11th, 2015 in
Vietnam. The exact venue of the second contact phase has not been announced yet.
Participants must take part in both the online and contact phases and work on the implementation of
their project between the contact phases since the didactical concept requires practical application of
learning in the home institutions between contact phase I and contact phase II.
In Dr. Lan’s proposed project, she aimed to come up with a detailed plan for internal quality assurance
and accreditation of VGU’s existing study programs and revision of its curricula, which have been
“imported” from German partner universities. These activities will make a significant contribution to
speeding up the process of degree transfer at VGU. Congratulations on Dr. Lan’s selection for this
scholarship on behalf of the Presidential Board and staff of VGU!
Karina Scholz, PR-Officer
Silke Heimlicher, Head of Academic Affairs
New Research Article Published by Dr. Vinh
Dr. Dang Quang Vinh, in collaboration with his colleagues in Aalborg University (Denmark), Koszalin
University of Technology (Poland), and Warsaw University of Technology (Poland), published a
research article in the Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. To read his article, please follow this link:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10845-015-1072-2
For your quick reference, Dr. Vinh gives an overview of the topic:
A methodology for implementation of mobile robots in an adaptive manufacturing environments
In recent years with the rapid development of manufacturing, information and management
technologies, the environment for manufacturing has changed much due to growing global
competition and the diversity of customer demands. In order to survive in this intense competitive
environment and maintain sustainable development, manufacturers need to adopt innovations that
improve the effectiveness of automation.
Mobile robotics, which is an interdisciplinary technology extending the prospective application of
industrial robotics by combining transporting with manufacturing abilities, has been receiving more
and more attention thanks to the task flexibility, mobility and adaptability that the mobile robots bring
to industrial applications. Nevertheless real-world implementations of the mobile robots have been
limited due to the lack of an appropriate approach.
This research article, therefore, presents a methodology for the implementation of such mobile robots
to the real-world application of multiple-part feeding at Grundfos Company, the second largest pump
manufacturer in the world. Mobile robot scheduling and control issues are also addressed. The
methodology could be applied to a variety of tasks with not only mobile robots but also material
handling devices in manufacturing environments, which would be useful to operational level
production managers. The research article paves the way for further implementations and uses of
mobile robots in, not only, small companies, which focus on exact applications and small range of
products, but also large companies, which can diversify their applications over a longer term and wider
range.
Dr. Dang Quang Vinh,
Teaching Assistant in GPEM (Factory Management)
11
Newsletter 02/2015
News from Conferences
International Representatives from Science and Industry Will Attend the 13th Global
Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing
The Vietnamese-German University will
host the 13th Global Conference on
Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM) from
September 16th to 18th 2015 in Binh Duong
and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and is
expected to attract more than 100
representatives from science and industry
from all over the world.
The conference is intended to bridge the
gap between industrialized and emerging
countries, so innovative technologies, their
local applications and societal implications
will be discussed. Solutions and best
practices from Vietnam in areas like: Illustration for the Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing
resource efficiency and effectiveness,
recycling and re-manufacturing, innovative
business models and examples for industrial symbiosis, are intended to give the participants a holistic
view on the multitude of technological opportunities which can foster prosperity through global
collaboration and competition.
The conference serves as a forum for academics, researchers and practitioners from international
universities, research institutes and industrial companies. It will offer keynote speeches, panel
discussions, and parallel sessions on sustainability issues and presents benchmark companies. So far,
more than 150 abstracts have been submitted by participants from all over the world.
As the conference is intended to bridge the gap between industrialized and emerging countries, local
applications and societal implications of innovative technologies will be discussed, and there is a
special arrangement to enable the participation of Vietnamese scientists: For Vietnamese
participants, whose papers have been accepted, the registration will be free of cost. In cases that the
papers were not accepted or for any Vietnamese scientist who would like to participate without a
paper submission, the registration fee will be reduced to 50,- Euro only.
By taking part in the conference, participants will have opportunities to not only introduce and present
their work at a global forum but also to interact with academics, researchers and scientific community
from over 30 countries worldwide. Their abstracts will be printed and published in the booklet at
conference and the papers will be also published by Elsevier in the worldwide renown journal Procedia
CIRP.
There will be many special events at the conference such as: Boat tour and networking on Saigon river;
Gala dinner in Becamex Hotel Thu Dau Mot; visiting Minh Long Ceramic Co., Ltd and visiting SaiTex
International Vietnam Co., Ltd. Due to the reputation and wide-scale of the conference, this year,
GCSM is being sponsored by leading corporations, such as: Becamex, Nghia Nippers, Bosch,
Pepperl+Fuchs, Messer, Deutsches Haus, SaiTex and Minh Long.
Dr. Carsten Reise,
Academic Coordinator for Global Production Engineering and Management (GPEM)
12
Newsletter 02/2015
International Conference on “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area”
In recent years, developing countries like
Vietnam are experiencing fast economic
growth and associated rapid urbanization. In
this context, Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest
metropolitan area of Vietnam, has been
facing challenges in providing sufficient urban
infrastructures and services to meet the
needs of the development. Huge population
concentration, high densities, mixed land
uses, and lack of transport infrastructure and
public transport services feature the city
characteristics.
Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest metropolitan area of Vietnam.
As the result, it causes increased traffic
congestions, accidents and pollutions. The city
has spent efforts to solve the problems through infrastructure provision, urban planning and control,
and traffic management measures. However, not all decisions can be made efficiently because there
is a lack of information and in-depth knowledge about the dynamics that drive the future development
of the city and tools that can be used to support sound decision-making processes.
Thanks to the support of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Vietnamese-German
University (VGU), University of Transport and Communications (UTC), and the project team of Real
Time Monitoring of Urban Transport - Solutions for Traffic Management and Urban Development in
Hanoi (REMON) are delighted to announce the second International Conference on Integrated
Modelling of Urban Dynamics and Traffic with a theme on “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City
Metropolitan Area” on September 24th to 25th 2015 at the Vietnamese-German University in Binh
Duong New City, Binh Duong Province.
We would like to invite people from academia and practitioners to participate and present their
relevant researches and practical works at the conference.
Following the success of the Conference on “The Future of Hanoi City” organized in University of
Transport and Communications (UTC) in Hanoi in September 2014, the Conference on the Future of
Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area will be a great opportunity for academicians, practitioners and
experts worldwide to meet and share the key understanding of urban-transport dynamics and the
modeling techniques, and seek for research cooperation opportunities in developing integrated
modelling of urban-transport dynamics for developing cities. The outcomes of the conference will be
a value added to the state-of-the-art of methods and algorithms used for calibrating, validating, and
coupling the models.
For more detailed information on the conference’s objectives, thematic topics and deadlines for paper
submissions, please refer to this website: http://www.vgu.edu.vn/research/vgtrc/academicactivities/symposiumworkshops/the-future-of-hochiminh-city-metropolitan-area/
Dr. Vu Anh Tuan,
Director of the Vietnamese-German Transport Research Centre (VGTRC)
13
Newsletter 02/2015
News from Workshops
Process of Accreditation of Sustainable Urban Development is Ongoing in Germany
Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy Head of the Department of Academic Affairs, went to Germany on a
two-week business trip from June 29th to July 10th 2015. The purposes of this trip were (1) to participate
in the accreditation of the SUD (Sustainable Urban Development) Master’s Program at Technische
Universität (TU) Darmstadt provided by Acquin, (2) to attend a meeting with the Consortium on July
2nd, and (3) to visit and work with potential German partner universities located in the cities of
Karlsruhe, Mönchengladbach, Kassel, Freiberg, and Weimar.
Five representatives of Acquin, a German accreditation agency, paid an on-site visit and reviewed the
SUD Master’s Program at TU Darmstadt on July 29th-30th, 2015. Participating in the interviews by the
five Acquin accreditors were Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Linke (Academic Director of SUD), Prof. Dr.-Ing
Ralph Bruder (TU’s Vice President) together with the TU faculty members involved in the instruction
at VGU. Moreover, during the course of the interviews, there was significant contribution by Dr. Pham
Thai Son (SUD academic coordinator at VGU), Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu (SUD senior lecturer at VGU), Dr.
Ha Thuc Vien (VGU Vice President for Student and Academic Affairs), Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan, and Ms.
Nicole Binder (Head of Coordination Office of the VGU Consortium), who answered an array of
challenging questions raised by the Acquin accreditors.
The result of the accreditation will
not
be
announced
until
September, 2015, however, all the
questions that the Acquin
accreditors raised were thoroughly
answered by Prof. Linke, TU faculty
and staff members, and the four
participants coming from VGU.
Acquin focused their questions on
issues related to the program,
students, and faculty members,
such as expected learning
outcomes, teaching modules,
Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Linke, Dr. Ha Thuc Vien, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, Prof.
Dr. Ralph Bruder, Mrs. Nicole Binder and Dr. Lan at their lunch break (left to
student learning styles, teaching
right).
methods, and communication
between students in Viet Nam and
lecturers in Germany. After this program is successfully accredited, VGU will be able to confer Master’s
degrees in SUD for five years.
On July 2nd, 2015, Dr. Ha Thuc Vien and Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan attended a regular meeting of the
Consortium held at the DAAD Headquarter in Bonn. The meeting primarily reviewed the results from
the 7th university council, news from VGU and the implementation of the Bachelor’s degree program
in Mechanical Engineering at VGU. Furthermore the consortium accept the University of Applied
Sciences Bochum as a new member. Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan visited and worked with the Department
of Quality Assurance at TUD and a variety of departments at KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie)
such as Department of Quality Management, Department of Student Counseling, Department of
Relationship Management, International Students Office, Office for International Fundraising, and
Office for Gender Affairs. On the agenda is also a visit by Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan and Dr. Ha Thuc Vien
to VGU’s new potential partner universities in Mönchengladbach, Kassel, Freiberg, and Weimar.
Silke Heimlicher, Head of Academic Affairs
Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy Head of Academic Affairs
14
Newsletter 02/2015
Seminar on the First International CubeSat Constellation by Prof. Vo Bich Hien
On May 13th, 2015, Prof. Vo Bich Hien gave a seminar called “QB50: the first international CubeSat
constellation - the NSF QBUS”. Prof. Hien was invited for a trial lecture as a candidate for an advertised
professorship for the bachelor study program Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
(EEIT). As he traveled all the way from Puerto Rico to Vietnam, the EEIT-associates used the
opportunity to ask him for a seminar. Some students contacted Prof. Vo Bich Hien afterwards to plan
further student work with him (eg Bachelor thesis). This project will provide an opportunity for the
students to work in a multidiscipline team to create a realistic system design which requires a high
reliability of all components in an extreme environment (space).
The project will also require a combination of engineering skills that are important for today's
engineers:
- multidisciplinary
- Teamwork
- Systems Design
- Security and reliability
- Challenging specifications.
CubeSat is a miniaturized satellite and comes in a modular unit of 10
x 10 x 10 centimeters with a mass of 1.3 kilograms. It has all the
standard functions of a normal satellite (flight computer, attitude,
determination and control, communication system for uplink and
downlink, power system consisting of battery and solar panel).
Starting out as a university project for training students in space
engineering, CubeSat has been used to conduct scientific and
technical investigations by agencies such as NASA. By combining a
large number of CubeSats with identical sensors into a network,
fundamental scientific questions can be addressed. The QB50
project is the first CubeSat network project for atmospheric
research, and includes international participation from more than
CubeSat is a miniaturized satellite
30 countries. 40 two-unit CubeSats are planned, with one unit
providing the normal satellite bus and the other unit accommodating a set of sensors for lower
thermosphere and re-entry research.
The National Science Foundation QBUS consortium (three
research universities (Stanford, Michigan, and Colorado), one
Hispanic minority undergraduate university (Universidad del
Turabo), and two national laboratories – Draper laboratory) all
have significant CubeSat and Ionosphere-Thermosphere
science experience. The QBUS team will build four identical
two-unit CubeSats based on a joint design, with participating
members providing various components of the usual satellite
functions (attitude determination and control, uplink and
downlink telecommunications, power subsystem including a
battery and body-mounted solar cells, on-board data handling
and storage by a CPU).
Of the three available options, the QBUS team has been Sample of a man working on a satellite
approved by the QB50 project to fly the INMS sensor built by
the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL). This instrument will measure atmospheric composition
via abundance determination of neutral atomic O, molecular O2 and N2. QBUS as part of QB50 offers
a unique opportunity for dense and distributed in-situ measurements of the most poorly characterized
state parameter: neutral and ion composition from 100-320 km. The project will use measurements
15
Newsletter 02/2015
from QBUS, QB50, and complementary ground-based observations to characterize and understand
how compositional changes are created by energy inputs, propagate and ultimately equilibrated within
the Ionosphere-Thermosphere system.
Karina Scholz, PR-Officer
Udo Klein, Academic Coordinator of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (EEIT)
National Instruments Workshop on Labview Software for MSST and EEIT Students
A workshop on the software Labview was held at Vietnamese German University's Binh Duong campus
on December 5th 2014 by the Field Systems Engineer of National Instruments (NI) Vietnam, Dipl. Eng.
Pham Quoc Hung. Dipl. Senior Lab Engineer Le Duy Can of the Master Program Mechatronics and
Sensor
Systems
Technology
(MSST)
coordinated this workshop together with the
engineers from National Instruments
Vietnam.
In total 43 students took part in this
workshop. Because of the large number of
participants the workshop was devided in two
sessions, one in the morning and another in
the afternoon. The workshop focused on data
acquisition, add-on of Matlab software script
and an introduction in FPGA (Field
Programmable Gate Array) integrated in
MyRIO hardware, which serves as a data
Students of MSST and EEIT learned more about the software
acquisition and control device.
LabView, a most widely used one in the industry.
The Labview software and MyRIO hardware are the most widely used in industry and universities. In
the workshop the students got a first time experience with it, which will be helpful during their study
studies at VGU.
Le Duy Can,
MSST Study Program, Senior Lab Engineer cum Teaching Assistant
Lean Management Training Class
The Vietnamese-German Training Center
for Lean and Green Production at VGU was
established in 2014 by the Leonardo Group
GmbH, a European market leader in
consulting for lean and efficient production
and the Collaborative Research Centre on
Sustainable Manufacturing of the
Technische Universität Berlin. Its purpose
is to train staff from industrial enterprises
and state institutions to be more efficient
and effective in industrial value creation
with producing less waste at the same time. Students enjoyed the hands-on teaching method in the Lean
The Training Center was co-financed by the Management Training class
German Investment and Development
Company with public funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
16
Newsletter 02/2015
In April, the master students from Global Production Engineering and Management (GPEM) were given
a lean management class by experts from Leonard Group GmbH. The class took place with the
participation of GPEM Intake 2013 and 2014. Students were challenged with a tough situation in
production lay-out design for optimal
smooth material flow. To achieve this, a
teaching model called “Lean Factory” was
employed to simulate the challenge.
Individual work stations were arranged and
organized. Then specific roles of production
from operators to planners were acted by
students. Specific tasks closely related to
production were proposed and expected to
be solved by students.
The class atmosphere during the course
was very exciting. Students were interested
Students acted specific roles of production from operators to
planners in the training.
in the hands-on teaching method, which
enhanced the learning spirit; therefore
increased the learning outcomes. Through learning by doing, students enjoyed their lectures as they
really applied what they had learned to real cases. Moreover, Lean Thinking and Principles have been
researched to be an effective method used in manufacturing systems. Engineers with qualification in
Lean Management will, therefore, be in high demand by industrial companies.
Phan Minh Anh Luan,
Research and Teaching Assistant, GPEM program
Human Resources Training and Education Cooperation for Transport and Logistics Industry
The Vietnamese-German Transport Research
Center (VGTRC) successfully organized a
workshop on “Human Resources Training and
Education Cooperation for Transport and
Logistics Industry in Vietnam” on May 13th, 2015
in Ho Chi Minh City.
The main purpose of the workshop was to
consult stakeholders on the revised curriculum
of VGU’s MSc Transport and Logistics study
program and to seek cooperation from the
stakeholders. It attracted more than 40 participants from transport authorities, logistics and freight
companies, production and manufacturing companies, transport consulting firms, and universities and
training centers. The workshop had representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Schenker Vietnam
Co., Ltd, Vietnamm Supply Chain, Foreign Trade University and HCMC University of Transport present
various issues, challenges and opportunities for logistics development and high-quality human
resources training in the industry. It was concluded that there is a huge need for Master-level staffing
in the field of Logistics and Supply Chain. VGU shall tap the great potential by focusing its study
program on the management of logistics operations and processes, including transport solutions to
support robust logistics system and processes.
Opening of the workshop on Human Resources Training and
Education Cooperation for Transport and Logistics Industry in
Vietnam.
Dr. Vu Anh Tuan,
Director of the Vietnamese-German Transport Research Centre (VGTRC)
17
Newsletter 02/2015
Public Transport Development in Vietnam: Challenges and Opportunities
The Vietnamese-German Transport Research Center (VGTRC) run a seminar on “Public Transport
Development in Vietnam: Challenges and Opportunities” jointly with Eastern Asia Society for
Transportation Studies (EASTS) and Japanese Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) on May 20th, 2015 at VGU
Campus in Binh Duong. More than 70 people coming from the Departments of Transport in HCMC and
surrounding provinces, research institutes, universities and consulting firms participated in the
seminar.
To start the seminar, Dr. Vu Anh Tuan, the Director of
the VGTRC, presented research on "Comprehensive
Accessibility to Public Transport Systems in Developing
Countries – a case study of HCMC". The findings suggest
that if we want much more people to use public
transport, every component of a public transport
system (like buses) including the stop-station, the
vehicle, and the service and information must be easily,
quickly and safely accessible by all people over time and
space.
This is called “comprehensive accessibility to public
transport” and it should be paid due attention. This talk
was followed by a presentation by Mr. Furukawa, the
Chairman of BECAMEX-TOKYU Bus Company,
introducing Japanese-standard bus services in Binh Duong. It is called "Kaze bus" (meaning "wind" bus)
and has the aim of offering excellent bus service to attract more people by set of quality criteria "as
fast as wind, gliding like wind, radiating everywhere as wind, finest as new wind connecting all
journeys”.
Participants of the seminar on public transport
development in Vietnam, run by VGTRC.
Next, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, a Senior Lecturer of VGU reviewed social costs of car use based on
international experience, and proposed to conduct such a research in Vietnam to help the Government
and the community have a comprehensive understanding of the costs and benefits of excessive car
use to support making sound policies for car usage control. The proposal also raised the urgent need
of developing good public transport system to attract a great number of motorcycle users before they
might shift to car use.
Finally, Mr. Yosui Seki, a Senior Expert of JICA briefly introduced a Technical Cooperation Project on
“Modal Shift Challenge in Binh Duong Province” which aims to promote further development of the
“Kaze” bus service to the whole province with consideration to the local socio-cultural conditions. It is
highly expected that Binh Dinh will be a forerunner in providing a high-quality public transport system
that is accessible to everyone, throughout the day and to every place. The seminar concluded
successfully with the conclusion that Vietnam is not only facing challenges but also is presented with
opportunities to develop the public transport system. We need to do much more to take advantage of
the opportunities and address the challenges.
Dr. Vu Anh Tuan,
Director of the Vietnamese-German Transport Research Centre (VGTRC)
18
Newsletter 02/2015
Workshop on Lecturer Recruitment and Research Development in Germany
As a follow-up to the previous workshop in January 2014, representatives of Vietnamese-German
University and VGU Consortium came together to work again on the subject increasing the efficiency
and a more synchronized lecturer recruitment process at VGU. This meeting was also the first time
ever that all academic directors of all VGU’s study programs came together – a very unique and
productive occasion in the history of VGU.
The workshop took place on February 5th, 2015 at the Technical University of Darmstadt and was
hosted by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President of VGU, and Prof. Dr. Reiner Anderl, Chairman of the
Board of Directors at VGU Consortium. Besides an elaboration of the synergies and intersections
between full-time lecturer positions, the development of research programs at VGU was another
mayor item on the agenda. The academic directors of the implemented study programs reported on
current research activities, planned projects and designated research areas. Within this process further
parallels were identified and the ground for further co-operations could be laid.
From left to right: Prof. Dr. Reiner Anderl, Prof. Dr. Jürgen
Mallon, Linh Nguyen, Prof. Dr. Dietmar Ertmann.
Participants at the workshop in Darmstadt were
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Peter (HS Heilbronn), Prof. Dr.
Manfred Boltze and Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Linke
(TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr. Mark Wahrenburg (U
Frankfurt), Prof. Klaus Hackl and Jun.-Prof. Dr.
Jeanette Hussong (U Bochum), Prof. Dr. Sergej
Alekseev and Prof. Peter Nauth (UAS Frankfurt),
Prof. Frieder Keller (UAS Karlsruhe), Prof. Dr.
Günther Seliger and Dr. Peter Stammnitz (TU
Berlin). Also Prof. Dr. Dietmar Ertmann,
administrative Chairman of the Board of Directors
at VGU Consortium joined the workshop as well as
Nicole Binder and Christine Maureder from the
office of the VGU Consortium in Bonn and VGU’s
staff members Linh Nguyen and Silke Heimlicher.
Prof. Jürgen Mallon, President
Christine Maureder, Office of the VGU Consortium, DAAD in Bonn, Germany
19
Newsletter 02/2015
Events
Seventh Supervision Mission of World Bank
From June 8th to 11th 2015 a World Bank task team conducted an implementation support mission for
the Vietnam New Model University Project. The mission was led by task team leader Michael F.
Crawford and included specialists from the fields of education, financial management, and
procurement. Representatives from relevant departments of the Ministry of Education and Training
(MoET) such as the Department of Higher Education, the Department of School Facilities and
Equipment, and Children's toys, and the Project Management Unit also attended the meeting.
Participants at the 7th Supervision Meeting of the World Bank at VGU’s Campus
The meeting took place at interim campus of the Vietnamese-German University in Binh Duong. The
first day started with presentations by VGU President and VMU director updating project implement
progress in general and indicating major milestones/achievements in administration, human
resources, industry relationship and procurement activities. The meeting was continued with
discussions between the World Bank, the Project Management Unit and consultants of construction
contractor selection options. The participants were split into separate groups for the afternoon session
discussing VGU's sustainable financial plan and governance, and new campus design schedule. The
World Bank expected a written commitment between the MoET and Germany's state government
regarding funding for VGU, especially after 2020. During the following three days, breakout sessions
were continued with topics about academic affairs, procurement planning and implementation,
research and new campus basic design. The World Bank acknowledged VGU's qualified faculty
recruitment and VMU's improvement in procurement implementation. The wrap-up meeting was held
in Ho Chi Minh City with the online participation of Deputy Minister Prof. Bui Van Ga and
representatives from the MoET's departments.
The meeting ended successfully after four days of intensive discussion between participants. After four
years, the project's performance was rated "satisfactory" for the first time according the World Bank's
supervision result.
VMU-Team
20
Newsletter 02/2015
Board of Directors of VGU Consortium Reelected at Meeting of Members
On December 18th, 2014 the 13th Meeting of Members of the VGU Consortium took place in Bonn,
Germany. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon, President of the VGU, and Dr. Mathias Neukirchen, newly appointed
Vice-President for Administration, also attended the meeting as special guests. The representatives of
the
German
memberuniversities
used
the
opportunity to discuss current
and future development of the
VGU. One major item on the
agenda was the election of the
board of directors of the
consortium. Fortunately the
former members of the board,
Prof. Dr. Reiner Anderl as
Chairman of the board together
with Dr. Dietmar Ertmann and
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Peter as ViceChairmen, could be confirmed
in their positions and were
reelected for another period of
office. Congratulations on their
re-election!
The 13th Meeting of Members of the VGU Consortium in Bonn, Germany.
Christine Maureder,
Office of the VGU Consortium, DAAD in Bonn, Germany
VGU and Adidas co-host branding day
On June 13th VGU and Adidas successfully organized a scholarship information session day for potential
candidates for the third intake of the master program Global Production Engineering and Management
(GPEM). The panel of
sponsors
included
representatives from
ten leading companies
in
the
footwear
industry from China,
Taiwan and Korea,
who also attended the
branding
day.
Hwaseung, Evervan,
LAI Group, Jia Hsin,
Esprinta and the other
worldwide operating
companies
whose
VGU-President Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mallon during his speech at the branding day for GPEM
representatives took
part in the event are key partners of Adidas in Vietnam. Current GPEM-students gave information on
the study program and shared their experiences with those who were interested in the program.
More than 80 potential students attended this event and were very interested in the presentations on
course information, scholarship opportunities, the allowance provided during the course and the job
offers after graduation. During the past three years that GPEM has been offered at VGU, this course
has attracted many students. The scholarships being offered cover the tuition fees for the whole study
21
Newsletter 02/2015
program together with an allowance of 200 US-Dollars per month. A six-month internship program
with the sponsoring companies is also included. Graduates will be automatically offered a three-year
contract with one of the partners of Adidas.
In 2015, 21 successful applicants will be offered scholarships for the GPEM course.
The master program Global Production Engineering and Management is offered in co-operation with
the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany. It is an international program, open for students from all
countries. The program prepares students for careers in the area of technology management. Rather
than only focusing on business administration, Global Production Engineering and Management
enables engineers to create systematic technological innovation combined with efficient and effective
industrial business management.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Kieu,
Head of PR
Foundation Year Students Presented English Skills in Fair
VGU students in their foundation year held an exhibition on Friday, July 3rd to present the outcome of
their studies “Project English in the Academic English”, class 6. In this class, the students were learning
how to combine three important English skills, which are: debating, presentation and writing. The class
involved: creating a project, planning it, writing a proposal, writing a mid-term report on progress and
problems, planning and finishing the project, and then, writing a report on how it was done. The
projects were completed by the fair of the student’s actual projects.
Although the ultimate projects seemed diverse and unconnected, the overall theme was the use and
practice of academic skills, such as note-taking for interviews, presentations and academic writing.
One group had an idea of creating a virtual snow world digitally using a Minecraft application. Their
aim was to provide a chance for people to interact and explore the virtual world on a computer.
Another project showcased the differences between traditional books and books which can be read
on electrical devices (e-books). Through the project, this group hoped to convince people that paper
books still have some vital value and at the same time, encourage the participants to read more. One
more social project from another group explained the overspending habits of students and suggests
some effective saving plans. An interesting historic theme was the idea of comparing Saigon city 50
years ago and now to show people the dramatic changes in the economy, public services and the living
environment of the people. The final group raised public awareness of food safety in the students’
living environment and pointed out some solutions to reduce the bad effects of unsafe food to
students’ health. The groups presented their work through interesting speeches, fantastic videos or
even interactive video games.
Binh Nguyen Thanh,
Foundation Year Student
Graham Carnaffan,
English Language Teacher
22
Newsletter 02/2015
VGU Bloodrive
On June 9th 2015, the third VGU Bloodrive, a blood donation campaign, was conducted at VGU. The
donation of blood only takes a few minutes of the donor’s time but can be a lifesaver for somebody
else. This year, more than 100 VGU associates, including students, lecturers and staff donated blood.
There were 85 blood units collected and stored. Thanks
to every donor for your generosity and bravery! For
those who did not pass the quick blood test, please
know that the organizers acknowledged your intention
and appreciate a lot your time and effort.
The Bloodrive campaign is being organized by the
Presto group in cooperation with Binh Duong Red Cross.
Participants can donate between 200 and 350 ml blood,
depending on their health status. All the donated blood
is tested and stored at Cho Ray Hospital, which is one of
the biggest hospitals in Vietnam and has a modern
blood center.
You can find more information on the facebook page of
the
VGU's
student’s
Presto
group:
http://www.facebook.com/VGUPresto.
This student is donating blood with a smile.
Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu,
Student Affairs Officer
Super Fair 2015
The 2015 Super Fair took place during the second semester of the academic year 2014-2015 in the
courtyard of the Vietnamese – German University (VGU). This was the first ever fair at VGU, and drew
in students and staff of both VGU and the Eastern International University (EIU) who participated or
set up their own kiosks at the fair. The crucial purpose of this 2015 fair was to raise money for the VGU
Charity Fund, which is intended to help the Student Affairs Office hold a charity event in the
foreseeable future. The kiosk’s hosts and guests could donate any amount of money.
The event was organized by the members of the quiz group “Alles
Wissen”, with the help of the Student Affairs Office, and took place
in the afternoon of 20th May, 2014, from 4 to 8 pm. The fair
consisted of nearly 30 different kiosks, selling a diverse range of
choice for the participants including different kinds of food and
drinks, as well as clothing and accessories. With a unique look and
diverse goods to buy, the Fair was considered a success by both the
spectators and the kiosk’s hosts.
Impressive windmill at the fair
The Super Fair got it’s originality from the kiosks. Diverse kiosks
individually sold different kinds of merchandise, like food
(sausages, spaghetti…), drinks (milk tea, juices, soft drinks…),
accessories and old clothing. The “Alles Wissen”-team participated
in three distinct kiosks: the second-hand-kiosk, the game center
and the bar. At the used book and second-hand stuff kiosk people
could exchange old books or buy second-hand items for the
purpose of fund raising. This is the first time this model has been
applied at VGU, and it is planned to be repeated in the future.
23
Newsletter 02/2015
The game center provided the heart of entertainment of
the Super Fair, attracting a lot of spectators and
participants. There were a variety of games, ranging from
Twister, buzzer games, Just Dance – attracting great
dancers and other lot of players, Word guessing game,
Cat Mario, Info Multiple Choice game and other games.
The bar was where you could listen to great music, enjoy
the AC in the scorching summer and enjoy delicious
drinks made by the bartender crew. After the fair, one
million Dong was raised for the fund.
Students playing the well-known parlour game
Twister
Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu,
Student Affairs Officer
Swimming Club’s Pool Party
On May 12th 2015, the Swimming Club of VGU invited students from VGU and surrounding universities
in Binh Duong to beat the summer heat with a refreshing pool party. The party was hosted for the sole
reason of having fun and relaxation after a long period of continuous studies. This was the largest and
first financially-independent event in VGU that ever happened.
Food and drinks were served and a
number of indoor games entertained the
guests. Then the DJ from Gazebo Lounge
turned up the music. The students had a
lot of fun, people were raving at their best
and having the time of their life. There
were also performances from Music Club
and dance performances from other
universities teams. The party didn’t end
until 10pm. After the party, the Swimming
Club received good response, dotted with
some positive feedback on how we should
improve next time. All in all, the event was
a success and the organizers hope to have
another event of similar scale next year to The pool party was a well-deserved treat for the students after a long
connect more and more students period of continuous studies.
throughout Binh Duong on behalf of
Vietnamese-German University.
Nguyen Hoang Thien Thu,
Student Affairs Officer
24
Newsletter 02/2015
Staff News
Welcoming New Staff
A very special welcome goes to all our highly talented newcomers, who joined VGU since May:
Head of Finance, Mr. Duong Hoai Linh, working at VGU since June 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Italy / M.Sc. Management, Economics & Industrial Engineering.
Head of Public Relations, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Kieu, working for VGU since June 1st, 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Foreign Trade.
Head of Industrial Relations and Technology Transfer Department, Dr. Michael Braun, working at VGU
since June 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Germany / PhD in Physical Chemistry, more than 20 years of
international working and consulting experience with enterprises, universities, research organizations
and government institutions, including four years in Vietnam.
Research &Teaching Assistant (RTA) for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (EEIT), Mr.
Duong Huynh Bao, working at VGU since June 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / M.Sc. Engineering.
IT-Officer, Mr. Tran Huu Quoc Van, working at VGU since June 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / M.Sc. Computer Science.
IT-Executive, Mr. Nguyen Trung Thanh, working at VGU since June 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Transport and Tourism Management.
Lab Technician for Global Production Engineering and Management (GPEM), Mr. Do Huu Minh Hieu,
working at VGU since 1st June 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Manufacturing Engineering.
Research-Teaching Assistant (RTA) for Mechatronics and Sensor Systems Technology (MSST), Mr. Phan
Ha Thanh, working at VGU since 1st June 2015.
Country of studies and degree: VGU / M.Sc. Computational Engineering.
Research & Teaching Assistant (RTA) for Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering, Mrs. Le Thi Huong,
working at VGU since June 8th 2015.
Country of studies and degree: VGU/M.Sc. Traffic and Transport
PhD Coordinator and Officer of Research Management department, Dr. Pham Thuy Duong, working at
VGU since June 8th 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Finnland / PhD Green Chemical Technology.
Head of Human Resources, Dr. Dinh Hai Dung, working at VGU since June 23rd 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Germany / Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing.
Personal Assistant to Vice President for Research, Ms. Nguyen Tran Thanh Truc, working at VGU since
July 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Pre-School Education.
Librarian, Ms. Do Thi Them, working at VGU since July 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Library and Information Science.
25
Newsletter 02/2015
Assistant to Research Department, Ms. Do Nguyen Viet Quynh, working at VGU since July 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / Banking Finance.
Deputy Head of Facility Department, Mr. Tran Anh Khoa, working at VGU since July 1st 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnm / B.A. Electrical Engineering.
Deputy Head of IT Department, Mr. Pham Minh Duy, working at VGU since July 6th 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Vietnam / B.A. Computer Science.
Legal Officer, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Yen, working at VGU since July 7th, 2015.
Country of studies and degree: Australia / M.Sc. Public Management.
Prospects and Dates
Save the Date: Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing
13th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing (GCSM) from September 16th to 18th 2015 in Binh
Duong and Ho Chi Minh City, please find detailed information here: http://www.gcsm.eu.
Save the Date: International Conference “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area”
The international conference on “The Future of Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area” is held from
September
24th
to
25th
at
VGU,
please
find
detailed
information
here:
http://www.vgu.edu.vn/research/vgtrc/academic-activities/symposiumworkshops/the-future-ofhochiminh-city-metropolitan-area/
Imprint
Publisher:
The President of VGU –
Vietnamese German
University,
Le Lai Street
Binh Duong New City,
Binh Duong Province
www.vgu.edu.vn
Editorial Work:
Karina Scholz
[email protected]
Richard Bradley
Pictures: VGU, Presto,
Martin Joppen as signed
26