The Institute of International Finance Education successfully held the Honoring and Welcome Ceremony for the 2025–2026 Academic Year under the theme: “Steadfast in Integration – Shining with Knowledge.”

Anh The

On the morning of October 25, 2025, the Institute of International Finance Education – Academy of Finance solemnly held the Honoring and Welcome Ceremony for the 2025–2026 Academic Year of the Dual Degree Programme (DDP) – a joint training program in which each institution awards one Bachelor’s degree.

The event marked a meaningful milestone, celebrating the outstanding achievements of DDP students in the past academic year and welcoming the 10th cohort of new students – a new generation continuing the journey of integration and the pursuit of knowledge under the shared roof of IIFE.

Distinguished guests, lecturers, and parents took commemorative photos at the ceremony.

The event was honored to welcome the presence of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Education and Training.

Representing the Ministry of Finance was Senior Expert, MSc. Le Van Hieu, Former Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Finance.

From the University of Greenwich (UK), the ceremony was attended by Dr. Raj Dass, Regional Representative for International Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and Dr. Rosie Nguyen, International Recruitment Manager in Vietnam.

Representing the Academy of Finance, attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Thieu – Chairman of the Trade Union, Vice Director of the Academy; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Le Cuong – Head of the Personnel and Organization Department; MSc. Vu Van Khien – Deputy Chief of Office; MSc. Bui Van Tien – Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union; Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh – Deputy Head of the Faculty of Taxation and Customs; Dr. Ha Thi Doan Trang – Deputy Head of the Faculty of Public Finance; MSc. Phan Phuoc Long – Deputy Head of the Faculty of Economic Information Systems; Dr. Tran Thi Viet Thach – Faculty of Banking and Insurance, DDP Lecturer; Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga – Deputy Head of the Department of Scientific Management; Dr. Nguyen Phi Hung – Deputy Head of the Department of Equipment Management and Construction Investment; and student Nguyen Trong Tung, representative of the Academy Broadcasting Committee.

The ceremony also welcomed distinguished partners, including Colonel Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy Commander of Truong Son Construction Corporation (Army Corps 12); Colonel Nguyen Viet Duan, Deputy Head of the Organization and Labor Department, Army Corps 12; Colonel Tran Vinh, Deputy Head of the Political Department, Army Corps 12; Colonel Nguyen Van Thuc, Deputy Director of the National Defense and Security Education Center, Hung Vuong University; Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Faculty of Finance, Military Academy of Logistics; Mrs. Pham Xuan Hong Hanh, Deputy Head of the Education Sector Relations Division, ACCA Vietnam; Mrs. Bach Lan Huong, Senior IELTS Test Development Manager for the Northern and Central regions, IDP Vietnam; Mrs. Nguyen Thu Trang, IELTS Test Development Officer, IDP Vietnam; Mrs. Le Thi Thanh Xuan, Deputy Head of Partner Relations, Accounting Product Division, Smart Train Academy; Mrs. Le Hong Lan, Senior Education Consultant, ISC Education; Mrs. Nguyen Hong Van, Head of Academic Management, E&E Education and Event JSC; Mr. Tran Quang Vinh, Deputy Director of the Ha Thanh Branch, Agribank; and Mrs. Nguyen Lan Huong, Deputy Head of Planning and Risk Management, Agribank, along with representatives from various media agencies.

Representing the Institute of International Finance Education, the ceremony warmly welcomed Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duong Nghieu, Former Director of the Institute; Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen, Director; Dr. Nguyen Bich Thuan, Deputy Director; together with numerous faculty members, parents, and DDP students from various cohorts.

A mark of the journey of international integration.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Thieu delivers the Opening Speech for the 2025–2026 Academic Year

In his remarks at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Thieu – Vice Director of the Academy of Finance – affirmed that the Academy is making strong strides to meet the demands of a new era. The Academy continues to expand its scale, enhance training quality, innovate curricula according to international standards, strengthen English-medium instruction, and foster partnerships with leading universities around the world.

He emphasized that the Dual Degree Programme (DDP), a collaboration between the Academy of Finance and the University of Greenwich, represents a major milestone that elevates the Academy’s reputation and development, addressing the aspirations and needs of many Vietnamese students who aim to become “global citizens in a changing world.”

He also reminded DDP students to always “set learning goals”, and sent a heartfelt message to the 10th cohort of freshmen:

“Your four years at university are not only a time for learning and gaining knowledge but also a transformative journey—a journey of self-improvement, of aspirations and dreams nurtured and empowered to become reality.”

Dr. Raj Dass delivers his remarks at the ceremony

Also at the event, Dr. Raj Dass – Representative for International Cooperation – extended his warm congratulations to the new students. He reaffirmed the strong and enduring partnership between the two universities in their joint training efforts, emphasizing their shared goal of building a generation of global students who are confident, resilient, and full of ambition.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy – Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Education and Training, delivers congratulatory remarks

Highly appreciating the international joint training model, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation (MOET), emphasized that the DDP Program is a clear demonstration of the Institute of International Finance Education’s vision for global integration under the Academy of Finance.

She encouraged the Institute to continue innovating its governance, upholding academic quality, advancing digital transformation, and developing a strong faculty team while supporting students to be creative and breakthrough-oriented.

Dr. Thuy expressed her hope that, with dual Bachelor’s degrees from two prestigious universities in finance and banking, students will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become competent, ethical professionals and experts, contributing to national development in this era of Vietnam’s global rise.

Mr. Le Van Hieu – Senior Expert, Former Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Finance, extends his congratulations to the lecturers and students of the Institute of International Finance Education (IIFE).

Welcoming the 10th Cohort of DDP Freshmen – A New Generation of Confidence and Integration

In the admission report, Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen – Director of the Institute of International Finance Education, shared that in the 2025–2026 academic year, the Institute welcomed 67 new students of the 10th DDP cohort, showing a remarkable improvement in quality. Nearly 50% of these students achieved IELTS scores of 5.5 or higher, including 6 students with IELTS 7.0 or above. The highest IELTS score belongs to Dam Minh Duc, who achieved 8.0.

This year’s admission valedictorian, Nguyen Anh Quang, not only attained an impressive 29.3 out of 30 on the entrance exam scale but also holds an IELTS certificate of 7.0. In addition, three students have been admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam, and another three have completed the Party awareness training course.

Many of these students are active Youth Union and class leaders, demonstrating dynamism, creativity, and enthusiasm in student activities. This clearly reflects how the DDP program has earned the trust and affection of both students and parents, becoming widely recognized and influential nationwide.

Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen delivers her remarks at the ceremony

Nguyen Anh Quang, the admission valedictorian of the 10th DDP cohort, expressed his pride and emotion upon officially joining the IIFE community. He stated:

“Studying two majors—Finance and Banking, and Accounting and Finance—simultaneously within four years to earn two prestigious Bachelor’s degrees from both the Academy of Finance and the University of Greenwich (United Kingdom), along with the advantage of being exempted from all nine ACCA Global papers (F1–F9), is a great challenge. It requires every DDP student to give their best effort, stay focused, and persevere.”

However, Quang confidently affirmed, “I believe IIFE will be the place that helps us take our first steps firmly and confidently.”

On behalf of all new students, the valedictorian of the 10th cohort made a heartfelt promise:

“We, DDP students, will continue to uphold the tradition of excellence, maintaining the spirit of learning, creativity, and integration to be worthy of the 15-year legacy of growth and development of the Institute of International Finance Education.”

Mrs. Le Thi Thanh Xuan – Deputy Head of Partner Relations, Accounting Product Division, Smart Train Academy – awards scholarships worth 270 million VND to DDP students

DDP Honor Board 2025–2026: A Mark of Growth and Excellence

The DDP Honor Board for the 2024–2025 academic year features outstanding names: an admission valedictorian with 29.3/30 points, an academic-year valedictorian with a perfect GPA of 4.0/4.0, and a graduation valedictorian with a GPA of 3.9/4.0. These remarkable figures once again demonstrate the growth, maturity, and academic breakthrough of DDP students over time.

Notably, this academic year recognized five students achieving a perfect GPA of 4.0, spanning across first-, second-, and third-year students—clearly reflecting the DDP spirit of “daring to set goals and daring to excel,” along with their determination to improve and perfect themselves.

To encourage academic excellence, the Institute of International Finance Education (IIFE) awarded 103 DDP Honours Scholarships with a total value of nearly 1 billion VND. Including the Master’s Talent Scholarships for graduates, the total scholarship value exceeded 1.5 billion VND.

Additionally, seven students were honored for their outstanding achievements in scientific research, while 43 students received awards for active participation in student activities—including class leaders, Youth Union members, and DDP Communication Ambassadors.

For the new 10th cohort of students, IIFE presented one award to the admission valedictorian and honored six students who achieved IELTS scores of 7.0 or higher.

Admission valedictorian Nguyen Anh Quang receives a trophy and a prize worth 5 million VND from the Institute of International Finance Education (IIFE).

First-Class Scholarship worth 70 million VND awarded to student Bui Ngoc Lien – Academic Year Valedictorian 2024–2025.

Second-Class Scholarships worth 35 million VND each awarded to four students: Le Thi Huong Giang, Pham Duc Trung, Ha Duy Anh, and Ngo Vi Ha Linh.

Third-Class Scholarships worth 17.5 million VND each awarded to five students: Hoang Khanh Linh, Dang Thu Thao, Le Nguyen To Linh, Nguyen Phuong Quynh, and Nguyen Hoang Ha Phuong.

Trao 35 suất Học bổng Sinh viên xuất sắc trị giá 7 triệu đồng và quà tặng từ Smart Train Academy cho các sinh viên có điểm GPA từ 3.6 trở lên.

Fifty-eight Merit Scholarships, each worth 2 million VND, were awarded to students with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Commendation awarded to two students for their outstanding achievements in scientific research.

Commendation awarded to five students for their active participation in scientific research activities.

Commendation awarded to three DDP Communication Ambassadors.

Commendation awarded to four students who are class and Youth Union officers for their outstanding achievements.

Commendation awarded to three students for their active contributions to the Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Commendation awarded to thirteen students for their outstanding achievements in student activities.

Commendation awarded to twenty students for their active participation in student activities.

During her speech, Bui Ngoc Lien – Academic Year Valedictorian 2024–2025 – expressed heartfelt gratitude to her lecturers:

“DDP not only teaches us knowledge but also shapes in us the spirit of integration, critical thinking, and creativity – precious qualities that will help us move forward in the future.”

Lien also shared:

“We study not just to pass exams, but to surpass ourselves.”

Her simple yet profound words inspired all DDPers, reminding them of the importance of gratitude, the value of knowledge, and the continuous journey of self-improvement.

The proud achievements celebrated today not only affirm the relentless efforts of each DDP student in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth but also reflect the dedication of the lecturers and administrators of the Institute of International Finance Education, who have consistently guided, supported, and encouraged students to reach new heights. All these collective efforts have come together to create the “Honor Board” that showcases the shining success of generations of DDPers.

The Honoring and Welcome Ceremony for the 2025–2026 Academic Year concluded in a warm and solemn atmosphere, where every DDPer shone with pride, learning spirit, and aspiration for global integration.

As the 2025–2026 academic year marks the 15th anniversary of its establishment, under the motto “Quality – Integration – Sustainability,” the Institute of International Finance Education continues to affirm its role as a bridge of global knowledge, contributing to the training of high-quality finance and accounting professionals in service of Vietnam’s sustainable development in the era of integration.