Hai Phong (VNA) – The Vietnam Maritime University (VMU) and Korea Maritime & Ocean University (KMOU) opened the 24th Asian Maritime and Fisheries Universities Forum (AMFUF 2026) on November 12, drawing leading Asian maritime and ocean schools to the northern port city of Hai Phong.
Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Xuan Sang, in his opening speech, said the 14th Party Central Committee on July 28, 2026 issued Resolution 20-NQ/TW on building Vietnam into a strong maritime nation. It ties modern, sustainable marine growth to national defence - security and global integration, with science, technology, innovation and quality workforce as the long-term foundation.
Sang said sea resources, geography and infrastructure are not enough as the decisive factor is mastery of science and technology and workforce quality. Vietnam needs engineers, seafarers, experts and managers who can adopt and develop advanced technologies for the maritime industry and future marine economy. That is why Vietnam attaches special importance to international cooperation in education, training and research.
For VMU, hosting AMFUF 2026 reinforces its role as a leading Vietnamese maritime and marine economy education establishment and widens cooperation in training, faculty and student exchanges and scientific research.
KMOU President Ryoo Dong-keun said universities must both prepare the next maritime workforce and cooperate to build the knowledge, skills and leadership the future demands. That is where AMFUF can deliver real change: academic exchange, joint research and training cooperation can turn a shared vision into action, and collective efforts can achieve far more than isolated establishments.
VMU President Assoc. Prof. Pham Xuan Duong said the forum lands in the university’s 70th anniversary year. Hosting AMFUF carries extra significance as the Vietnamese Government has approved a plan to make VMU a national key university.
The event featured eight scientific sessions on November 12 and November 13, covering autonomous maritime systems and artificial intelligence, workforce development and curriculum innovation, maritime safety and risk governance; seaports, logistics and maritime technology; and green shipping, governance and sustainable development.
Organisers cast the sessions as a venue for researchers, experts and managers to share results, track technology trends and match training with industry needs. On November 13, member universities and institutes met to discuss AMFUF’s activities and strategic direction, propose cooperation schemes and choose future hosts. Outstanding paper awards and a closing session follow, with a field visit expected on November 14.
AMFUF was founded in the Republic of Korea in 2002 to connect Asian maritime and fisheries education, training and research institutions. The network now groups more than 30 universities and research institutes from 14 countries. VMU is one of nine founding members and hosted the forum twice, in 2006 and 2019. The 2026 edition marks its third turn as host./.
