Over the past three years or so, I've been traveling to Vietnam more frequently. One reason for this is the increased interaction with Vietnamese universities and companies as part of Chiba University of Chiba University of Commerce 's international exchange program, and another is the fact that Vietnam's vitality has led to the hosting of various international conferences. In this column, I will describe my impressions of attending the 50th anniversary ceremony of the University of Economics and Business (VNU-UEB) at Vietnam National University, as well as a meeting aimed at research exchange with VNU-UEB.

My first visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, was in the 1990s for a workshop organized by the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, organized primarily by a Vietnamese professor at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. At the time, most of the presentations were by Japanese researchers, and the city itself had a classic Asian feel. However, about two years ago, when I visited FPT Software, a major Vietnamese company, I discovered that the company had been sending students from its own university to Vietnamese AI researchers active around the world, resulting in numerous top-tier papers. I was deeply inspired by their dynamism since the turn of the 21st century. At the same time, like other Asian countries, the city has experienced tremendous economic growth, and its urban areas are becoming as vibrant and impressive as those in Japan.

Now, let's move on to the ceremony itself. First, I was surprised by the sheer scale of the event. The National Convention Center (NCC), one of Hanoi's largest venues, which has also been visited by the Japanese Prime Minister and members of the Imperial Family, was rented out for the occasion. Government officials and ambassadors from various countries were invited, and the large venue was completely full. The day before the ceremony, a large-scale school festival was held, mainly for VNU-UEB students, and thousands of people enjoyed themselves there as well. On the other hand, the ceremony was originally scheduled for November 17, 2024, but was actually changed to the morning of the 18th. This was attributed to the schedules of government officials, but such last-minute changes are quite common overseas. While such changes are not often seen in Japan, I personally really appreciate this kind of flexible and casual approach. Perhaps we should learn from this.