As part of the ICP Connect Project, “Beyond the Souvenir,” a delegation from Quy Nhon University, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Bich Duyen, Dean of the Faculty of Finance, Banking and Business Administration, took part in the Partners’ Meeting and Stakeholder Workshop on Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality at VIVES University of Applied Sciences from May 10 to 16, 2026. Through workshops, academic exchanges, and industry networking activities, QNU continued to affirm its active role within the international cooperation network, advancing the internationalization of education, developing joint modules on sustainable tourism, and strengthening the connection between education, research, and professional practice in the tourism and hospitality sector.
An overview of the Partners’ Meeting and Stakeholder Workshop at VIVES University of Applied Sciences, Belgium.
The programme brought together partner universities in the project, including VIVES University of Applied Sciences in Belgium, the University of Cuenca in Ecuador, Makerere University Business School and Mountains of the Moon University in Uganda, as well as numerous enterprises, organizations, and experts working in sustainable tourism and hospitality.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Bich Duyen in discussion with a representative of UN Tourism.
The delegation engaged with hospitality and culinary arts students at VIVES who were awarded ICP Connect scholarships in 2025, as well as visiting a Belgian chocolate enterprise.
This activity focused on developing a stakeholder network—one of the key expected outcomes of the ICP Connect Project—aimed at strengthening connections among universities, businesses, government agencies, and communities in education and sustainable tourism development. At the international workshop, “Beyond the Souvenir – Stakeholder Workshop on Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality,” representatives of Quy Nhon University delivered a presentation entitled “Sustainable Tourism Development in Vietnam and Asia: From Theory to Sustainable Practice.” The presentation highlighted sustainable tourism trends in Vietnam and across Asia, the role of higher education in developing a high-quality tourism workforce, and the initiatives QNU is implementing under the ICP Connect Project. Through the presentation, QNU introduced its plans for an internationalized module on “Sustainable Tourism Development,” the development of bilingual digital learning materials, strengthened engagement with businesses, and the promotion of practice-oriented and sustainability-focused education. QNU’s presentation generated considerable interest and constructive discussion among international partners, particularly regarding university–industry cooperation models for tourism and hospitality education in Vietnam. In addition to the formal workshop sessions, the QNU delegation held a number of direct exchanges with partner universities in the ICP Connect network, including VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Belgium), the University of Cuenca, Makerere University Business School, and Mountains of the Moon University. The partners discussed the refinement and delivery of the joint “Sustainable Tourism Development” module in the 2026–2027 academic year, covering curriculum content, learning materials, online learning platforms, assessment methods, and mechanisms for coordinated teaching among partner institutions.
The delegation explored an eco-resort model oriented toward sustainable tourism development and working with Guidea, Belgium’s tourism data centre.
During the programme, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Bich Duyen, Dean of the Faculty of Finance, Banking and Business Administration, also held professional discussions with representatives of UN Tourism on innovation, tourism entrepreneurship ecosystems, and global directions for sustainable tourism development. These exchanges provided an important opportunity to broaden academic networks and explore potential avenues for future international cooperation.
In addition to the workshops and academic sessions, the QNU delegation participated in a range of practical activities designed to expand its network of international industry partners. The delegation met and exchanged ideas with VIVES students in hospitality and culinary arts through workshops and experiential learning activities; visited a renowned Belgian chocolate company and engaged with a master chocolatier who received one of Belgium’s leading professional distinctions in 2021; and explored an eco-resort and sustainable accommodation model operated in line with green transition and circular economy principles.
Through this week-long programme in Belgium, Quy Nhon University further reaffirmed its proactive role in the ICP Connect Project’s international cooperation network while expanding relationships with universities, international organizations, and enterprises in sustainable tourism and hospitality. The delegation’s activities not only contributed to the internationalization of education, but also reinforced connections among training, research, and professional practice, ultimately supporting the development of a highly qualified tourism workforce in an increasingly internationalized context.
Pham Tran Truc Vien
Vo Thien An