On June 25–26, 2026, representatives of Phu Xuan University (PXU) attended the Sustainability Workshop within the framework of the STRIVE Project (Strengthening Internationalization of Vietnamese Emerging Universities), hosted by Quang Ninh University of Industry (QUI). This is an activity under Work Package 6 of the project, part of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Program funded by the European Union (Project Code: 101128558).
The workshop brought together delegates from member organizations, including: AlmaLaurea Interuniversity Consortium (Italy), University of Évora (Portugal), University of Tuscia (Italy), and Vietnamese project members: Hanoi University (HANU) – national coordinator, Phu Xuan University, Quang Ninh University of Industry, and the National Academy of Public Administration.
Speaking at the opening session, Dr. Nguyen Huu Chuc – Vice President of Phu Xuan University – emphasized the practical benefits that the STRIVE project brings to the university’s internationalization strategy. Accordingly, the STRIVE project not only opens up new international cooperation opportunities but also helps PXU gradually build a capacity foundation to participate equally in the European – Vietnamese higher education ecosystem.
The working session on June 25 focused on a comprehensive evaluation of the project’s implementation progress and crucial decisions regarding sustainability after STRIVE concludes. According to the report from the AlmaLaurea representative, as of May 31, 2026, the project had completed 80% of total outputs, with 7 milestones and 11 deliverables accepted, closely following the planned schedule. The completion rate by work package showed positive progress: WP2 and WP4: Achieved 100%, WP1, WP3, and WP6: Reached 85% and WP5: Reached 75%.
One of the key contents of the working day was the 5th Steering Committee meeting, where members officially approved the establishment of the International Virtual Center (IVC). This is a digital platform built to connect the international cooperation network, share resources, experiences, and opportunities among Vietnamese universities and European partners. The IVC is designed as a voluntary, flexible cooperation platform with no legal or financial binding, operating on a consensus mechanism to be easily maintained long-term after the project’s funding ends.
Within the program framework, delegates exchanged experiences and shared effective approaches to raise awareness and enhance communication activities about the EU’s Erasmus+ Program. In addition, the workshop allocated time to evaluate the implementation status of Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) projects in the field of sustainable tourism. Based on the achieved results and posed challenges, partners proposed various solutions and orientations to promote the formation and development of international cooperation projects in the next phase.
Following the program, the working session on June 26, 2026, focused on building orientations for the CBHE project proposal on sustainable tourism development. Partners discussed project objectives, work package structures, role assignments for each member, coordination models, and connection mechanisms between domestic and foreign parties. A notable milestone is that in the SUSTOUR-VN project, Vietnamese universities, including Phu Xuan University (PXU), are expected to take on the main coordinating role of the consortium. This is a clear testament to the significant development in the capacity to manage and coordinate international projects of these universities after more than two years of participating in training programs and accompanying the STRIVE project. Concluding the session, partners agreed on several key operational orientations such as faculty training, tourism curriculum innovation, and implementing pilot projects linked to local communities.
Throughout the two-day workshop, the Phu Xuan University delegation actively participated and made substantive contributions to all working sessions. In addition to the opening remarks, Dr. Nguyen Huu Chuc directly contributed many ideas on the IVC governance model and the coordination mechanism among member universities, while sharing practical perspectives from the position of a local university on its internationalization roadmap. The exchanges from PXU representatives contributed to perfecting the development orientation of the IVC and laying the foundation for building the next cooperation project.
The STRIVE Project 2026 Sustainability Workshop at Quang Ninh University of Industry concluded with many concrete and practical results. The event continued to affirm the commitment of partners to strengthening the internationalization of higher education, expanding cooperation networks, and sustainably developing Erasmus+ initiatives between Vietnam and the European Union. For Phu Xuan University, this is not only an opportunity to look back at what has been achieved but also an important stepping stone for the university to confidently enter a new phase of international cooperation – equipped with the experience forged through the journey with STRIVE.