RMIT co-hosts conference on Connectivity in Asia

SKIP TO CONTENT

Tiếng Việt

RMIT co-hosts conference on Connectivity in Asia

RMIT University Vietnam, in collaboration with Zhejiang University, China, and Inha University, South Korea, co-hosted the Connectivity in Asia: Trade, Transport, Logistics, and Business conference from 24 to 26 June 2018 at the University’s Saigon South campus.

The event saw the attendance of more than 100 keynote speakers, presenters, and delegates from countries including Indonesia, China, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Austria and Australia.

RMIT University Vietnam, in collaboration with Zhejiang University, China, and Inha University, South Korea, co-hosted the Connectivity in Asia: Trade, Transport, Logistics, and Business conference from 24 to 26 June 2018.

RMIT Vietnam President Professor Gael McDonald shared that RMIT Vietnam was extremely happy to host the event.

“This forum has been organised to explicitly explore the views of industry experts, policymakers and academics on the issues surrounding the region’s logistical challenges,” Professor McDonald said.

The conference covered topics which play a vital role in Vietnam’s economy(link is external), as the country’s growth is fuelled by greater regional and international integration and collaboration, added Professor McDonald.

“According to a World Bank estimate, Vietnam’s logistics costs currently account for 20.9% of GDP, which by comparison is higher than China’s 19%, Thailand’s 18%, Japan’s 11% and the EU’s 10%,” Professor McDonald said.

“At a recent national logistics forum, Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, stated that high logistics costs were one of the hurdles obstructing the national economy’s competitiveness in a highly connected and integrated trade environment. Prime Minister Phuc emphasised that efforts to lower logistics costs need attention, particularly as Vietnam increases its participation in major free trade agreements.”

RMIT Vietnam President Professor Gael McDonald said that the conference has been organised to explicitly explore the views of industry experts, policymakers and academics on the issues surrounding the region’s logistical challenges.

Professor McDonald stressed that cutting logistics costs to 16-20% of GDP by 2025 while raising its GDP contribution to 8-10% “will require additional efforts to reform and simplify administrative procedures in order to improve the business climate.”

“There are 63 papers with contributors from at least 13 different countries, as well as many other participants,” Professor McDonald said of the conference. “Together they will explore the current challenges in logistics and hopefully provide a more enlightened road ahead.”

***

RMIT Vietnam has a proud history of leading educational dialogue in Southeast Asia. In over 16 years of operation, the University has hosted many academic conferences with visiting speakers from around the world. These events provide insights for the University’s academic staff and capacity-building opportunities for educators across the region.

The University’s Bachelor of Business (Logistics & Supply Chain Management) is well established and produces graduates who have a strong foundation in logistics activities such as procurement, operations management, transportation, distribution and supply chain design. They also graduate with the soft skills required to be a leader, ready to enhance Vietnam’s productivity and competitiveness in the dynamic global marketplace.