CONINCO Hosts Saitama University (Japan) Alumni Gathering: Affirming a Global Vision and Honoring Knowledge

Some journeys lie many years behind us, yet the ideas and core values gained along the way continue to shape our careers. For generations of Vietnamese scholars, the years spent at Saitama University in Japan were more than memories of youth abroad: they were where a scientific mindset, discipline and a spirit of service first took root. A recent reunion of Saitama University alumni at CONINCO’s headquarters brought fresh meaning to the journey “From Learning to Practice,” in which knowledge becomes a powerful force for building the nation.

The gathering took place in a formal yet warm atmosphere at Consultant and Inspection Joint Stock Company of Construction Technology and Equipment (CONINCO., JSC). The event was honored by the presence of Dr. Le Quang Hung, former Deputy Minister of Construction and President of the Vietnam Concrete Association; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Minh Thuy, Vice President of the Vietnam–Japan Friendship Association, Chair of the Vietnam Association of Japan Alumni (VAJA) and former Vice President of the VNU University of Languages and International Studies; Dr. Phan Le Binh, Chief Representative of the Hanoi Office of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. (OC Global, Japan) and lecturer at VNU Vietnam Japan University; and Mr. Dam Xuan Dung, Deputy Director of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center.

The Organizing Committee included Mr. Duong Quoc Anh, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam–Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and Master of Economics from Saitama University; Mr. Tran Van Dung, former Chairman of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam and Master of Development Studies from Saitama University; and Dr. Dinh Ngoc Hai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JVI, founder of JVM and President of the Vietnam Business Association in Japan (VJBA) from 2013 to 2018, who earned his PhD in Chemistry as a doctoral researcher at Saitama University.

Representing the host were Dr. Ha Minh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CONINCO and Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Structural Engineering and Construction Technology (VASECT). Dr. Ha Minh holds a PhD in Civil Engineering, spent more than ten years in research and teaching at Saitama University, and is a former President of the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA); Architect Nguyen Dang Quang, General Director of CONINCO; and members of the Board of Management.

Reunions are usually occasions for looking back. This one, however, brought together scholars, leading experts, policymakers and business leaders, turning it into a high-caliber forum for connecting intellectuals, sharing practical experience and opening up new avenues for cooperation.

A Foundation of Knowledge and Culture from the Land of Cherry Blossoms

Saitama University has long been recognized as one of Japan’s respected institutions for education and research. Yet the greatest value Vietnamese students took from their time there went beyond degrees and academic publications. It was a scientific methodology, rigor, disciplined thinking and a deep sense of professional pride.

Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Minh Thuy highlighted the lasting value of maintaining alumni networks. She noted that Japanese culture places great importance on close ties between individuals and organizations, regarding them as invaluable social capital. Through VAJA’s support programs, research grants and the ASEAN Council of Japan Alumni (ASCOJA), the “heart-to-heart” philosophy championed by Japan continues to thrive, giving returning scholars a springboard to put their abilities into practice at home.

From Learning to Practice: The Resolve to Deliver

The highlight of the program was a panel discussion titled “From Learning to Practice – From Research and Teaching in Japan to Running Businesses in Vietnam.” The speakers’ candid, real-life stories offered a vivid picture of how the best lessons from Japan can be applied in Vietnam’s diverse business environment.

Having spent ten years at Saitama University as both a doctoral researcher and a lecturer, Dr. Ha Minh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CONINCO, shared an inspiring story of resilience and responsibility. During his years in Japan, he not only excelled academically but also proved a passionate leader, elected President of the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA). For his tireless service to the Vietnamese student community, he received a Certificate of Merit from the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan and, notably, the Sao Thang Gieng (January Star) Award, a prestigious honor conferred by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Students’ Association.

That leadership and dedication were put to the test later in his career. In 2007, when an approach span of the Can Tho Bridge collapsed, Dr. Ha Minh, then a Vietnamese lecturer at a Japanese national university, was entrusted by the Japanese authorities and experts to return to Vietnam and support the investigation and handling of the incident. Saitama University made every arrangement to accommodate his teaching duties throughout this important assignment.

Working day and night at the site and traveling constantly to urgent meetings in Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, he faced enormous pressure in explaining complex technical issues. Untangling each problem under such strain demanded intense focus. That focus, together with the perseverance, respect for scientific precision, strong sense of responsibility and refusal to give up that he had honed in Japan, carried him through every challenge to complete the mission successfully. The same determination remains at the heart of CONINCO’s management approach today, enabling the company to take on key national projects with confidence and deliver breakthrough business results in 2026.

Offering a different perspective, Dr. Phan Le Binh, Chief Representative of OC Global’s Hanoi Office, who spent 20 years with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), noted that turning knowledge into results also requires the ability to adapt to local culture. In his view, the core principles of the Japanese way of working are fairness, transparency and absolute discipline. When running a business in Vietnam, however, agility and an open mind are just as essential. Combining Japanese rigor with the dynamism of the Vietnamese environment, he said, is the formula behind the success of many managers with engineering backgrounds.

Beyond infrastructure, a scientific research mindset has also borne fruit in biomedicine. Dr. Dinh Ngoc Hai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JVI, who spent years as a doctoral researcher in Chemistry at Saitama University, has built a successful business by bringing advanced stem cell and immune cell culture technologies into practice in Vietnam, achievements that owe much to the support of his former Japanese supervisors.

Knowledge in the Service of the Nation

The reunion was a source not only of personal pride but also of recognition for the significant contribution that Saitama University alumni have made to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and international integration. Logical thinking, systematic research methods and the ability to tackle problems at their root have helped generations of alumni rise to key positions in public administration, legislative bodies and financial institutions.

Notably, Saitama University is proud to count Prime Minister Le Minh Hung among its alumni; he earned a Master’s degree in Development Economics there in the late 1990s. The growth of Saitama alumni across many fields, and their contributions in senior national leadership roles, are the clearest testament to the quality of the university’s training and the strategic vision of Japan’s educational philosophy. This is a source of shared pride for the Saitama University alumni community, and an affirmation of the strength of internationally trained talent in Vietnam’s integration journey.

CONINCO: Where Knowledge Converges and Spreads

As host, CONINCO showed itself to be not only a company of strong professional capability but also a meeting point for international expertise. The event was driven by the dedication of CONINCO’s leadership and chaired by Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Ha Minh, who spent more than a decade building his career at Saitama University and is a former President of VYSA.

At CONINCO, we value our experts, champion continuous learning and strive to bring rigorous, transparent international standards into the practice of Vietnam’s construction industry. Proactively connecting with the Saitama University alumni community is part of our strategy to build a knowledge ecosystem in which international best practices are shared widely, strengthening the CONINCO brand on its path of sustainable development.

Connecting the Past to Build the Future

The Saitama University alumni gathering closed with smiles of reunion, handshakes that strengthened professional bonds and a number of promising ideas for cooperation. However much time has passed, and whatever roles each person now holds, the bond formed by a shared foundation of knowledge and culture remains a precious asset.

Years in the lecture hall provide a solid foundation, but it is the drive to keep contributing to the future that gives an intellectual community its vitality. Through the connections of dedicated individuals, the seeds of knowledge sown at Saitama University, and at Japanese universities more broadly, will continue to flourish, becoming a powerful resource for Vietnam’s development and further deepening the enduring friendship between Vietnam and Japan.