Managing smart transformation

Managing smart transformation

The Managing smart transformation focuses on digital transformation and smart development to tackle real-world challenges.

The Managing smart transformation research group studies the use of information, communication, and other digital technologies in the digital-transformation era of entrepreneurship, industry engagement, private and public policymaking, e-government services, smart and sustainable community development. We strive to drive impactful research and foster collaboration in various disciplines to address real-world challenges and advance knowledge in these fields not only in Vietnam but also in Asia and across continents.

Key expertise areas

  • Digital transformation research and corporate training.
  • Smart cities and sustainable development.

Key accomplishments

  • Vietnam’s Urban Development: From Doi Moi to now and 2050 by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia.
  • Digital Competence for Vietnamese Citizens: Towards an Inclusive Digital Nation by RMIT College of Business and Law.
  • Improving Digital Competence of Local Authorities, Businesses, and Citizens in Provinces by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia.

  • Improving Digital Competence of Local Authorities, Businesses, and Citizens in Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc Provinces: Towards a Digital Nation. Aus4Skills Australian Alumni Grants Fund Round 4.
  • Assessing the Readiness of Enterprises in Vietnam for Digital Transformation by KPMG Vietnam.
  • Assessing Corporate Citizenship in Vietnam by KPMG Vietnam.
  • Vietnam Smart 4.0, in collaboration with Consulus Vietnam.

Research theme highlights

Theme leads

Dr Santiago Velasquez​ profile image

Dr Santiago Velasquez​

Dr Santiago Velasquez is the Associate Program Manager, Management (MBA), having over 15 years of global experience in forestry consulting and academia. His research interests include digital transformation and management accounting, holding a PhD related to the latter. Santiago has extensive industry and teaching experience across Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and is deeply involved in forging international collaborations and strategic project management.

Profile details
Oanh Vu profile image

Dr Oanh Vu

Dr Oanh Vu is a Senior lecturer of International Business, having a track record of successfully conducting research and engaging in the industry, with valuable past experience working as a Training Program Manager and a Director of Operations in big firms. Conducting various research across sectors and nations has built her strong research profile with highly ranked publications, including multiple A* and A.

Profile details

Members

  • Professor Trung Nguyen – HoD, Management, TBS
  • Dr Duy Dang - Associate HoD, R&I, Business Innovation
  • Dr Phuong Hoang (Emmy) – Senior Program Manager, Digital Marketing
  • Associate Professor Abel Alonso – Senior Lecturer, International Business
  • Professor Robert McClelland – Dean, TBS
  • Associate Professor Seng Kiat Kok – Dean of Students, RMIT Vietnam
  • Associate Professor Burkhard Schrage – Acting Associate HoD, T&L, Management
  • Dr Nhu Do – Lecturer, Management
  • Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Thuan – HoD, Business Innovation
  • Dr Timothy McBush Hiele – Lecturer, Digital Business
  • Dr Han Jung Woo – Interim Deputy Dean, Academic and Quality, Student and Education Portfolio
  • Dr Gavin Nicholson - Lecturer, Management
  • Dr Anh Nguyen Thi Van – Interim Associate Program Manager, Digital Marketing
  • Dr Alrence Halibas - Interim Associate HoD, T&L, Business Innovation
  • Dr Anushka Siriwardana – Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Dr Jasper Teow – Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Dr Scott McDonald – Lecturer, Logistics and Supply chain
  • Dr Irfan Ul Haq - Lecturer, Logistics and Supply Chain
  • Dr Long Thang Van Nguyen – Associate Program Manager, Public Relations
  • Dr My Dang – Lecturer, International Business
  • Dr Esmira Hackenberg – Lecturer, Law
  • Dr Do Thi Hoang Mai - Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Dr Ngan Thi Tuyet Truong - Lecturer, Management
  • Dr Cau Nguyen – Lecturer, Management
  • Dr Chuyen Nguyen - Lecturer, International Business
  • Dr Hang Thanh Pham - Associate Lecturer, Human Resource Management
  • Nghia Luu - Associate Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Phung Thanh Phuong - Associate Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Le Phuong Chi - Associate Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Sang My Hua - Associate Lecturer, Digital Marketing
  • Thanapat Kijbumrung - Associate Lecturer, International Business

Paving the Way for Vietnam’s Smart and Sustainable City Future

The primary objective of this project is to construct actionable policies to enhance smart and sustainable city initiatives in Vietnam. These policy-guidelines will be benchmarked from global standards and aligned with Vietnam’s national objectives.

Project Lead: Oanh Thi Kim Vu, Santiago Velasquez, Abel Duarte Alonso, Quyen Thao Dang

Empowering Vietnam’s ECE Teachers with STEM: A Scalable Tech-Driven Professional Development Initiative​

This project aims to adapt and refine the STEMsmart CPD Model and gather evidence of the effectiveness and scalability of the Adapted STEM smart CPD Model in enhancing ECE teachers' competencies, well-being, and agency.​

Project Lead: Nhu Do

Empowering Early Childhood Educators with AI: Enhancing Professional Growth through Personalized Support and Timely Feedback

The RMIT project, titled “Empowering Early Childhood Education Teachers with AI: Enhancing Professional Growth through Personalised Support and Timely Feedback”, includes the development and deployment of two AI chatbots for 180 early childhood educators in Vietnam, and academic research papers on ways AI can support teachers’ professional growth.

Project lead: Nhu Do

  • Al Issa, H.-E., & Maheshwari, G. (2025). Shaping the future of Education: A cluster analysis of generative AI’s transformative impact. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 23(1), 113–165. https://doi.org/10.1108/itse-01-2025-0013
  • Ashfaq, M., Makkar, M., Hoang, A.-P., Dang-Pham, D., Do, M. H., & Nguyen, A. T. V. (2025). Exploring customer stickiness during “smart” experiences: A study on AI chatbot affinity in online customer services. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 20(1), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-09-2024-0452
  • Chen, Y., Lyu, J., Akram, U., Hou, Y. (2025). The Intelligent Brain and the energy heart: Synergistic evolution of artificial intelligence and Energy Storage Technology in China. Acta Psychologica, 253, 104711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104711
  • Duarte Alonso, A., Vu, O. T., Nguyen, T. Q., McClelland, R., Nguyen, N. M., Huynh, H. T., Akbari, M., Nguyen, T. T. (2025). Beyond Technology: A socio-technical lens on industry 4.0 value-adding across industries. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 221, 124355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124355
  • Duarte Alonso, A., Vu, O. T., Nguyen, T. Q., McClelland, R., Nguyen, N. M., Huynh, H. T., Nguyen, T. T., Akbari, M., Atay, E. (2025). Unleashing the process of industry 4.0 adoption: A resource-based view and new stakeholder theory approach. Business Process Management Journal, 31(7), 2976–3002.. https://doi.org/10.1108/bpmj-09-2024-0856
  • Garçon, Q., Cabanes, B., & Denis-Rémis, C. (2025). Managerial challenges in Digital Health: Bibliometric and network analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27. https://doi.org/10.2196/57980
  • Ho, H. H., Little, V. J., & Eti-Tofinga, B. (2025). Exploring undiscovered country: AI-empowered collective and collaborative epistemic reflexivity (I-CCER). Journal of Marketing Management, 41(17–18), 1906–1938. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257x.2025.2566931
  • Hoang, T.-H., Nguyen, T. T. M., Bui, T., Binh, A. D., Truong, H. Q., & Asif, M. S. (2025). Employee ambidexterity and adaptive resources in the face of digital HRM changes: Evidence from Frontline Banking Staff. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 74(11), 46–67. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm-12-2023-0689
  • Javed, T., Azhar, J., Shabbir, M. F., Nasir, A. (2025). Sustainable performance in public sector universities of punjab: Examining the moderating impact of digital leadership amid digital transformation and innovativeness. Discover Sustainability, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01737-1
  • Khakbazan, M., Ghanbari, H., Mohammadi, E., Kumar, R. R., & Abyaneh, A. G. (2025). Exploring the role of AI-driven innovations in Circular Economy: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Quality & Quantity, 60(1), 3177–3222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-025-02388-0
  • Ramsawak, R. A., Behera, D. K., Nayak, S. K. (2025). Digital Health Solutions and its usage by ageing populations in Asia: A bibliometric analysis and Review. Sage Open, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251396495
  • Ramsawak, R., Maheshwari, G., Maghsoudi, M., Agha Mohammad Ali Kermani, M., Bui Duy, T. (2025). Adoption and diffusion of Frontier Technologies: Tracing Global Collaborative Research Networks on chatgpt. Journal of Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515251330576
  • Van Le, D., Bui, T., Yap, T. L. (2025). Beyond automation: Understanding unemployment in the AI epoch from a Global Viewpoint. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 20, 100864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100864
  • Vo, D.-T., Nguyen, L. V., Dang-Pham, D., Hoang, A.-P. (2025). What makes an app authentic? determining antecedents of perceived authenticity in an AI-powered service app. Computers in Human Behavior, 163, 108495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108495
  • Xuan, S. H., Nguyen, A. T., Nguyen, T., Nguyen, L., Nguyen, H., Pham, N., Phung, T., Ngo, B., Nguyen, V., Nguyen, M., Tran, T., Le, T., Nguyen, K., FNU, P. (2025). Evaluating the impact of Generative AI in Mathematics Education: A comparative study in Vietnamese high schools. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/hbe2/8886206
  • Younas, M. W., Li, S., Maqsood, U. S., & Zahid, R. M. (2025). Leveraging artificial intelligence to detect and prevent corporate fraud in chinese enterprises. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.2025.2552676
  • Duarte Alonso, A., Vu, O. T. K., Nguyen, T. Q., McClelland, R., Nguyen, N. M., Huynh, H. T. N., Tran, T. D. (2024). Industry 4.0 involvement and knowledge management across industries: A qualitative investigation from an emerging economy. Journal of Business Research, 174, 114538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114538
  • Hameed, I., Akram, U., Khan, Y., Khan, N. R., Hameed, I. (2024). Exploring consumer mobile payment innovations: An investigation into the relationship between coping theory factors, individual motivations, social influence and word of mouth. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103687
  • Ishaq, S., Thinh Gia Hoang, Tanveer, U., Hoang, T.-H., Huy Quang Truong. (2024). Transformative capabilities of MedTech organizations in driving circularity in the healthcare industry: Insights from multiple cases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 446, 141370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141370
  • Martínez Falcó, J., Sánchez-García, E., Marco-Lajara, B., & Akram, U. (2024). Digital Transformation and green innovation performance: Unraveling the role of Green Knowledge Sharing and Top Management Environmental Awareness. Internet Research, 35(4), 1621–1656. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr-11-2023-1016
  • Nasir, A., Zakaria, N., Do, N., Velasquez, S. (2024). The impact of knowledge management on sustainable performance with mediation effect of green innovation in Malaysian SMEs. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems. https://doi.org/10.1108/vjikms-02-2024-0066
  • Nguyen, N. M., Duarte Alonso, A., Vu, O. T., Nguyen, T. T., & Akbari, M. (2024). Exploring Savico’s journey: Dynamic capabilities and industry 4.0 integration in organisation–industry actor relationships. Business Process Management Journal, 31(4), 1481–1508. https://doi.org/10.1108/bpmj-04-2024-0226
  • Singh, R., Khan, S., Dsilva, J., Akram, U., Haleem, A. (2024). Modelling the organisational factors for implementation of corporate social responsibility: A modified TISM approach. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-024-00388-x
  • Tan, K.-L., Sim, A. K. S., Lew, T. Y., Cham, T.-H., & Hii, I. S. H. (2024). Beyond laptops and tables: Unveiling Singapore’s success in hybrid work through a two-wave gender multigroup analysis of Compassionate Leadership. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 47(1), 148–172. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-02-2024-0108
  • Thi Binh, A. D., Hoang, T.-H., & Quang, H. T. (2024). Designing effective hybrid course curriculum: A design science approach to gamification and student outcomes validation. Evaluation Review, 49(3), 453–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841x241291752
  • Trung Quang Nguyen, Anh, T., Hoang Ai Phuong, Dang, D., Pham Cong Hiep, McClelland, R., Omid Noroozi. (2024). Digital competence of Vietnamese citizens: An application of DigComp framework and the role of individual factors. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12585-3
  • Vo, D.-T., Thang, L., Duy Dang-Pham, Hoang, A.-P. (2024). When young customers co-create value of AI-powered branded app: The mediating role of perceived authenticity. Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers. https://doi.org/10.1108/yc-06-2023-1759

Get in touch

Contact us

For further inquiries about the centre, please get in touch with the CBET team at: tbs.cbet@rmit.edu.vn

Visit us

Address: RMIT Saigon South Campus, 702 Nguyen Van Linh boulevard, Tan Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

Wi-Fi smart city or network. Low poly wireframe. Building automation with computer board illustration. Isolated on a dark blue background. Plexus points and lines. Wireless smart city or network.

Related links