Event Details and Agenda

Event details

This year’s SSC brings together the paradigms of sustainability and smart cities and demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between the two and how they are inextricably bound. A smart city is not only the adoption of digital technologies to improve the quality of life for its citizens, but also has to integrate global best practices and standards to allow for decisions leading to a long-term sustainable future. The UN SDGs provide the goals and targets and transparently share those best practices for world leaders. Technology alone does not make cities smart, liveable and sustainable; it also takes intelligent leadership drawing from the best available knowledge.  

During the morning session, the keynote presentations will focus on the linkage between smart cities and sustainability, exploring how the two concepts are critical for sustainable development. Second, following the keynotes and a lunch break, the SSC will delve into detail on six separate tracks showcasing case studies and developments from both local and international academics, practitioners, and innovators.   

The first two parallel tracks will explore blockchain innovation and the concept of liveable cities in the Australian context. The second set of parallel tracks examine the Smart Energy Climate Change Solutions and three critical areas of Smart development: specifically, Logistics, Tourism and Governance. The final parallel tracks experts will share the necessity of moving toward a Circular Economy and showcase solutions a critical existential problem facing humanity: plastic pollution.  

The SSC showcases case studies and developments from both local and international innovators and experts. The distinguished guests at this year’s forum include UNDP experts on sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), innovative sustainability practitioners, top-of-class Smart City industry experts and cutting-edge academic researchers from RMIT and other leading institutions.

To join the Smart and Sustainable Cities Forum, after your registration, you can visit the directory of the sessions:

Event agenda

Event agenda might be subject to changes.

8.30 – 9.00 AM  Registration & Reception 
9.00 – 9.20 AM 

Welcome Remark from College of Business and Law 

Mr Frank Kennedy, Deputy PVC Strategy & Innovation, College of Business and Law 

Welcome Remark from Central Government   

Mr. Nguyen Hoa Cuong, Vice President, Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), Ministry of Planning and Investment 

9.20 – 9.50 AM 

White Paper Launch Ceremony:   The Digital Transformation of Enterprises in Vietnam 

Dr. Nguyen Huu Le (Chairman, TMA Solutions)  

Mr. Yann Rousselot (Director, Digital Innovation, KPMG Vietnam)  

Professor Robert McClelland, Deputy Dean, School of Business and Management, RMIT Vietnam 

Moderator: Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Trung   

For more details: please visit this website and this video 

9.50 – 10.05 AM 

Government Presentations 

 COUNTRY GOALS PRESENTATION: Vision of Vietnam for a Smart & Sustainable Nation 

Mr Tran Ngoc Linh, Urban Development Management Specialist, Urban Development Agency, Ministry of Construction 

CITY PRESENTATION: Managing stakeholders in smart city development for Sustainability 

Speaker: President of HCMC People Committee and/or Leader of Department of Information and Communication. 

10.05 – 10.20 AM 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The critical link between Sustainability, Smart Cities and Governance  

Speaker: Ms. Do Thanh Huyen, National Policy Analyst & Head of Governance Monitoring, UNDP  

10:20 – 10:35 AM 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Benchmarking Smart Cities  

Speaker: Tuyen Bui, Director, Aurecon Vietnam   

10:35 – 10:50 AM 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Digital infrastructure and the Digital CBD  

Speaker: Prof Jason Potts, Distinguished Professor of Economics, RMIT Melbourne

10:50 – 11:05 AM 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Key Use of Technology to make cities more sustainable and Smarter  

Speaker: Mr. Dong Mai Lam, President, Schneider Electric Vietnam and Cambodia  

11:05 AM – 12:05 PM  

PANEL DISCUSSION: Cutting edge solutions for Smart & Sustainable   

Moderator: 

Mr Nguyen Hoa Cuong, Vice President of Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) 

Professor Prem Chhetri, Head of Supply Chain department, College of Business and Law, RMIT Melbourne 

Panelists:  

  1. Ms Do Thanh Huyen, UNDP   
  2. A/P Melanie Daverne, RMIT Melbourne   
  3. Mr Bui Tuyen, Aurecon   
  4. Distinguished Professor Jason Potts, RMIT Melbourne  
  5. Dr. Nguyen Huu Le, Chairman, TMA   
  6. Government Representative (TBC)  
  7. Mr Marc Forni, Lead Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Specialisty, World Bank
12:05 – 12:20 PM 

Wrap-up and Closing remarks  

Wrap-up: Mr Nguyen Hoa Cuong, Vice President of Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) 

Closing speech: Prof Mathews Nkhoma, Dean of School of Business and Management, RMIT Vietnam 

LUNCH BREAK – 12:30 TO 13:30 PM

PARALLEL SESSION 1 & 2: Where Sustainability and Smart Cities Meet 

Parallel Tracks (1 hour each track: Presentations: 40 minutes| Q&A: 20 minutes) 

SESSION 1 

1.30 - 2.30 PM

Track 1: Blockchain Innovation Hub 

Chairs:  Dr Tra Pham, RMIT Vietnam 

  • Title: How blockchain contributes to sustainable cities 
    • Distinguished Prof Jason Potts, RMIT Melbourne 
  • Title: DAOs and the City 
    • Prof. Chris Berg, RMIT Melbourne 
  • Title: Blockchain and sustainability. 
    • Dr Huy Pham, RMIT Vietnam 
  • Title: Providing Support Funding via Blockchain 
    • Dr Seng Kiong Kok, RMIT Vietnam 
  • Title: Blockchain-enabled Metaverse 
    • Dr Binh Nguyen, RMIT Vietnam 
  • Title: Blockchain as a disruptive solution for supply chain 
    • Dr Tuan Chu, RMIT Vietnam Economics & Finance Department Representatives 

Q&A (20 minutes) 

Track 2: Liveable Cities 

Chair:  Mr Nhan Nguyen, RMIT Vietnam   

  • Dr Burkhard Schrage 
  • Dr Erhan Atay, RMIT Vietnam 
  • Dr Majo George, RMIT Vietnam 
  • Dr Majo George, RMIT Vietnam

Q&A (20 minutes) 

SESSION 2 

2.30 - 3.30 PM 

Track 3: Sustainable Energy & Climate Change Solutions  

Chair: Dr Seng Kok  

  • Title: Sustainable Energy and Beyond in Vietnam: Some Challenges and Opportunities  
    • Dr. Bob Baulch – Prof of Economics, RMIT Vietnam  
  • Title: YOUTH4CLIMATE: Empowering Youth to Lead on Climate action  
    • Ms Morgane Rivoal, Climate Change & Circular Economy Officer, UNDP  
    • Ms Ngoc Anh Pham - Climate Learning Hub Curator  
  • POST CORONA, FROM CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY IN ENERGY  
    • Mr Phong Pham - CEO, Vu Phong Energy Group  
  • Title: Journey toward net –zero city  
    • Ms. Nguy Thi Khanh – Executive Director, Green ID, Goldman Prize Winner 2018  

Q&A (20 minutes) 

Track 4: Smart Logistics & Smart Tourism & Smart Governance  

Chair: Dr Nuno Ribeiro - RMIT Vietnam

  • Smart Logistics  
    • A/P Vinh Thai - RMIT Melbourne   
  • Traffic Safety Education  
    • Dr Trinh Tu Anh - President of Institute of Smart City and Management, UEH  
  • SMART Governance: The role of law on digital government  
    • A/P Trung Nguyen, RMIT Vietnam   
  • SMART Tourism  
    • Mr Ram Barinathan, Manager of South Asia, Forward Keys   

Q&A (20 minutes) 

PARALLEL SESSION 3: The Circular Economy & Solutions for Plastic Pollution & 

Parallel Tracks (1 hour each track: Presentations: 40 minutes | Q&A: 20 minutes) 

SESSION 3 

3.30 - 4.30  PM 

Track 5: The Circular Economy: The wave of the future  

Chair: Dr Nguyen Hoang Bao - Former Dean, School of Economics, UEH 

  • Title: Vietnam Circular Economy Hub: Accelerating the circular economy in Vietnam  
    • Dr. Lai Van Manh, Director of Natural Resources and Environment Economics Department, ISPONRE in Vietnam 
  • Mobile application and Gamification via Moble application: 
    • Mr Phuc Huyen - Founder/CEO, Green Points 
  • Title: The Plastic Credit IMPACT 
    • Mr. Barak Ekshtein – CEO, Ton to Ton   
  • Title: The role of the innovators and entrepreneurs in solving the waste crisis globally. 
    • Ms. Michelle Wilson - Circular Economy Network Director Waste Aid  

Q&A (20 minutes)

Track 6: Plastic Pollution and Innovative Solutions 

Chair: Dr. Burkhard Schrage 

  • Strides @ RMIT Vietnam – An Exemplar of Sustainable Operations Practices  
    • Mr. Andy Kimpton – RMIT Vietnam 
  • Title: Waste management - Case study: Promoting/Spreading Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An 
    • Dr. Chu Manh Trinh – Cham Islands Marine Protected Areas 
  • Creating Value from unsellable plastic. 
    • Mr. Jan Zellmann – Co-Founder, Reform Plastic 
  • Title: Uprooting Ocean plastic pollution issue 
    • Mr Anssi Mikola - Founder/CEO, River Recycles   

 Q&A (20 minutes) 

4.30 - 4.40 PM

Wrap up & Closing  

Professor Robert McClelland 

Deputy Dean of SBM, RMIT Vietnam