On July 11, 2026, as part of the Da Nang Economic, Finance and Technology Week 2026 and the academic event series organized by The University of Danang (UD) and its member institutions, the Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU) hosted two major international academic events: the 3rd ACIR+ Workshop on Research and Innovation for Students (AWRIS 2026) and the 2nd ACIR+ Start-up and Innovation Incubation Program (APISI 2026).

The events were jointly organized by UD-VKU in collaboration with the ASEAN Consortium for Innovation and Research Plus (ACIR+) and the Vietnam Association of Faculties-Institutes-Schools-Universities of ICT (FISU).

The programme brought together scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, representatives of professional organizations and students from universities and research institutes across ASEAN and beyond, including participants from France, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Distinguished guests included Prof. Harald Kuhn, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS), Germany; Prof. Kwak Je Sung, Project Management Consultant (PMC) Director; Mr. Cho Yong Suk, ODA Project Leader at UD-VKU; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector of UD-VKU; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phung Trung Nghia, Rector of Thai Nguyen University of Information and Communication Technology.

According to Dr. Tran The Son, Vice Rector of UD-VKU, the AWRIS–APISI series has evolved beyond an annual academic event to become a regional platform for nurturing research, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems among university students across ASEAN.

He emphasized that the initiative serves as a convergence point where promising ideas, research outcomes and entrepreneurial projects can connect with businesses, investors and innovation stakeholders for further development and commercialization.

AWRIS 2026 received 60 research submissions from doctoral candidates, postgraduate students and undergraduate students from universities within UD-VKU's international academic network. Following the peer-review process, 23 papers were selected for presentation at the conference and publication in the official proceedings with an ISBN identifier.

Meanwhile, APISI 2026 attracted 50 startup projects, products and innovative ideas from student teams across the region. After several evaluation rounds, six outstanding projects advanced to the final round, where they pitched their ideas before a judging panel comprising academics, entrepreneurs and industry experts.

The event series also featured poster presentations showcasing research achievements from universities across ASEAN and international partners. Topics focused on strategic and emerging technology domains, including artificial intelligence, big data, learning management systems, cybersecurity, intelligent systems, semiconductor and integrated circuit technologies, digital economy and smart agriculture.

Many of the student-led projects demonstrated strong social responsibility and innovative thinking in addressing practical challenges related to digital transformation, green growth, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, digital optimization, cybersecurity and financial technologies, contributing to sustainable development goals across the region.

At AWRIS 2026, the Organizing Committee presented one First Prize, two Second Prizes, six Third Prizes and twelve Encouragement Awards. The First Prize was awarded to the project entitled “Improving ASD Gait Recognition by Combining Normalized Skeleton Data with Dynamic Motion Features” developed by researchers from UD-VKU.

For APISI 2026, the Organizing Committee presented one First Prize, one Second Prize, one Third Prize and three Encouragement Awards. The top prize was awarded to “EVIRA – An Artificial Intelligence Platform for E-commerce Video Analytics”, a startup project developed by a student team from UD-VKU.

Through its diverse and interdisciplinary programme, AWRIS–APISI 2026 reaffirmed UD-VKU's role as a catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship and international academic collaboration. The event also highlighted the potential for transforming research outcomes and startup ideas in information technology, digital technologies and the digital economy into practical applications, commercial products and scalable ventures, while further strengthening academic connectivity across ASEAN and the global innovation ecosystem.

UD Media