On 3 March 2026, at the Nguyen Van Cu campus, VNUHCM–University of Science (HCMUS) welcomed and held a working session with a delegation from the Toyota Technological Institute (TTI, Japan). The meeting focused on exchanging strategic directions for cooperation in education, research, and academic exchange programmes between the two institutions in the coming period.

The TTI delegation included Professor Masamichi Yoshimura from the Graduate School of Engineering and Ms Yumiko Minoura from the International Relations Office. Representing HCMUS were Professor Trần Thị Thanh Vân, Head of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology; Associate Professor Nguyễn Tuyết Phương, Head of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences; Dr Nguyễn Phước Trung Hòa, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology; and Dr Tống Hoàng Tuấn, International Relations Coordinator of the Faculty.

During the session, both parties discussed plans for a forthcoming visit by an HCMUS delegation to TTI. This visit is expected to provide HCMUS lecturers and researchers with direct access to advanced research facilities, particularly the laboratory systems and cleanrooms dedicated to semiconductor training and research at TTI.

Furthermore, specific contents regarding educational cooperation and academic exchange were deliberated. Both institutions proposed the implementation of annual internship programmes at TTI for third- and fourth-year HCMUS students, lasting approximately three months. Additionally, short-term academic and cultural exchange programmes of two to three days for undergraduate and postgraduate students were considered as a means to strengthen connections between the student bodies of the two universities.

At the research level, the two sides discussed the possibility of establishing long-term collaborative programmes for Master’s and PhD students, ranging from nine months to one year. These initiatives aim to enable students to participate directly in research groups at TTI, thereby enhancing research capacity and expanding international scientific cooperation networks.

On this occasion, representatives from HCMUS also introduced and invited scientists from the Toyota Technological Institute to participate in the International Scientific Conference hosted by the University, scheduled for November 2026. Simultaneously, the HCMUS Visiting Professor programme was presented as a collaborative channel to attract international scholars to engage in teaching, research, and academic exchange at the University.

The meeting took place in an open and constructive atmosphere, revealing significant potential for cooperation in the fields of materials science, semiconductor technology, and high-quality human resource training. These initial exchanges are expected to lay the foundation for concrete collaborative programmes between VNUHCM–University of Science and the Toyota Technological Institute in the near future.