On the morning of December 20, 2025, at Ba Na Hills, Da Nang City, the International Conference on the Digital Economy and Fintech Innovation (DeFi 2025) was officially opened. This marked the first large-scale event of its kind in Central Vietnam, bringing together nearly 200 authors and scientists.

The conference was initiated and hosted by Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), The University of Danang (UD), and co-organized by Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), under the technical sponsorship of IEEE Vietnam Section and the IEEE Circuits and Systems (CAS) Vietnam Chapter, with the support of the ACIR Community, along with many prestigious universities, research institutes, organizations, and enterprises from Vietnam and abroad.

Attending the opening session of DeFi 2025, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector of VKU and Chair of the Organizing Committee; and Prof. Kwak Jae Sung, ODA Project Management Consultant Director (KOICA), Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), President of the Korea Association for International Development and Cooperation (KAIDEC), and Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee. The opening ceremony also welcomed a large number of scientists, experts, keynote speakers, representatives of governmental agencies, international organizations, universities, and enterprises, along with nearly 200 authors from 11 countries and territories. 

According to Prof. Kwak Jae Sung, DEFI - 2025 is a prestigious scientific forum, an opportunity to connect knowledge and education, and to cultivate young talents in the fields of AI applications, Fintech, and the digital economy in the digital age.

Representatives from KOICA and KAIDEC shared their joy at the results of the cooperation between Korea and VKU, which has contributed to the strong development of the University, with DeFi 2025 being a vivid testament to the spirit of collaborative development based on innovation.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, In the trend of global integration, core technological platforms such as AI, Big Data, Blockchain, Web 3.0, cybersecurity, and cryptography, combined with economic, financial, and management knowledge, help enhance national competitiveness, diversify and improve the efficiency and operational methods of economic sectors; and at the same time expand opportunities for the community to access and benefit from them.

Sharing the honor of being a university specializing in information technology, communication, and applications, contributing to promoting digital technology, the digital economy, and digital transformation, and aiming for international standards, the Rector of VKU stated that the university focuses on collaborating with partners to organize and host numerous national and international events, seminars, and competitions, thereby contributing to expanding the academic and research network, creating value, and fostering sustainable development within the international community.

At the Plenary Session, delegates listened to and discussed two in-depth keynote speeches by scholars: 1- Professor Herwig Unger, Hagen University (Germany) with the topic “Think global, Act local: An alternative approach to social networking”; 2- Dr. Sangwon Ko - Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Information Society Development, Vice President of Research Group 1, Development Block of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union, and Executive Member of the UNESCO National Committee of Korea with the topic “Digital Economy at a Crossroads”.

The results of the conference not only contribute to the dissemination of new knowledge and technologies to promote their application in serving the national development strategy, including the goals of establishing an International Financial Center and a Free Trade Zone in Da Nang, but also spread the prestige and academic reputation of VKU - University of Da Nang as a destination for major scientific events and conferences.

UD Media