ORIENTATION DAY K52 | IDENCITY: FROM “I” TO “WE” – A JOURNEY OF SHAPING WHO WE BECOME

In September 2026, the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), officially welcomed the K52 cohort through the ISCM Welcome K52 event series. From the Exhibition and meetings with Academic Advisors and Tutors to Orientation Day K52 | IDENCITY on September 19, each activity became a touchpoint for K52 students to explore their new environment, discover their individual identities, and gradually find their community at ISCM.

Under the spirit of “Be You. Find Your We. Co-create Our City.”, K52 students were welcomed not only to discover what they would study in the years ahead, but also to begin asking bigger questions: Who do I want to become? Who do I want to grow alongside? And what value can I create for my community?

SEPTEMBER 19 | ORIENTATION DAY K52 – IDENCITY: FROM “I” TO “WE”

On September 19, 2026, Orientation Day K52 | IDENCITY officially took place, marking one of the first milestones for K52 as they joined the ISCM community.

IDENCITY – a combination of Identity and City – begins with the belief that every individual enters university with a different story, personality, set of abilities, and expectations. University is not a place where these differences are placed into the same mould. Rather, it is an environment where each person can better understand themselves, develop their own identity, and learn how to connect with others. It is also a journey from “I” – recognising and developing oneself, to “We” – finding people to grow alongside, and further towards “Our City” – collectively creating positive values for our communities and future cities.

The programme began with an introduction to ISCM and its academic programmes – BAUD Bachelor, BAUD Architect, and BMOM – helping K52 students gain a clearer understanding of their learning journeys, professional activities, practical experiences, and the opportunities awaiting them. Because understanding a place where you will spend the next few years is sometimes not only about knowing “what is here”, but also imagining “who can I become here?”

TALKSHOW “i.DEN.CITY: FROM ‘I’ TO ‘WE’ – A JOURNEY OF SHAPING WHO WE BECOME”

“Who will I become after my university years?”

Starting from this question, the Talkshow “i.DEN.CITY” opened a conversation dedicated to K52 about choices, experiences, and how each person can gradually find and shape their own path. Accompanying the freshmen was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Tu Anh – Director of ISCM – as Host, together with three guests whose journeys reflect different professional perspectives: MC Nguyen Khang; Dr. Pham Nguyen Hoai – Programme Director of Business Management for Smart Operations and Mobility (BMOM); and Architect Nguyen Dinh Hoa – Design & Architecture Manager at LAITA Design.

Beginning with topics closely connected to student life – making the most of university years, actively seeking opportunities, building a personal brand, and balancing study with life – the conversation gradually expanded into research, careers, design thinking, and responsibility towards the community.

Through his own journey, MC Nguyen Khang shared stories about experience, taking on new challenges, and how each person can actively create opportunities for themselves. From an academic perspective, Dr. Pham Nguyen Hoai described university as a starting point for a journey of research, knowledge exploration, and the creation of meaningful value for society. Meanwhile, Architect Nguyen Dinh Hoa offered insights from the practice of architecture and design – where curiosity, experience, and the choices made along the way gradually shape each person’s professional identity.

In particular, the live Q&A placed K52 students and their questions at the centre of the conversation. Questions about academic programmes, career opportunities, scientific research, finding one’s own direction, and balancing study with meaningful experiences were discussed from practical and diverse perspectives.

There is no single formula for the university years, nor is there one predetermined path for everyone. What matters is having the courage to step into the unknown, to experiment, to change, and gradually create a path of one’s own. This is also the spirit of “Shaping the Unknown Future” – a future shaped not only by what we already know, but also by what we choose to explore and create today.

THE STORIES THAT SHAPE ISCM

If the Talkshow raised the question of what K52 could become, the student recognition session at Orientation Day offered an opportunity to look back at what generations of ISCM students have created and continue to create.

Achievements in graduation projects, scientific research, professional competitions, design projects, and contributions to ISCM and the wider community were recognised during the programme. Each achievement represents a different story – one that may begin with a graduation project, a research topic, a competition, or months and years of dedicated contribution to the community. Together, these stories form a diverse picture of ISCM students: proactive in learning, creative in professional practice, willing to explore new experiences, and responsible towards their communities.

In particular, the programme also recognised K52 freshmen with outstanding achievements in the 2026 admission cycle. Those whose names were called brought with them not only the results of an admission journey, but also their own colours, abilities, and stories waiting to be written.

For K52, the footsteps of previous generations are not templates to reproduce. Instead, they demonstrate that there is no single way to shine at ISCM – everyone can create their own impact in their own way.

BEFORE ORIENTATION DAY – THE FIRST TOUCHPOINTS

Before September 19, K52’s journey at ISCM had already begun through the first touchpoints of the ISCM Welcome K52 series.

From September 14–16, the ISCM Welcome K52 Exhibition opened a space for freshmen to explore ISCM’s academic programmes, academic activities, research, projects, and the achievements of previous generations of students. Exhibition visits, check-ins, and interactive activities also became opportunities for the first individual “I”s to begin meeting one another.

Then, on September 18, class meetings with Academic Advisors and Tutors created a more personal and welcoming space for K52 students to get to know their classmates, learn about their new academic environment, and meet the people who would accompany them throughout the journey ahead.

From classrooms filled with unfamiliar faces, the first greetings and conversations gradually began to create a sense of belonging. Because the university journey is shaped not only by what we learn, but also by the people we meet, the connections we build, and the experiences we share along the way.

BE YOU. FIND YOUR WE. CO-CREATE OUR CITY.

From the Exhibition and Class Meetings to Orientation Day, K52’s welcome journey began with individual “I”s – each bringing their own personality, questions, and expectations – before gradually finding their “We”: friends, teachers, mentors, and a community with whom they can learn, explore, and grow.

But “We” is not the destination.

When different individuals are able to connect, share, and act together, “Co-create Our City” truly begins.

Because the journey at ISCM is not simply a story about an academic programme or a degree. It is also a journey of understanding oneself, finding a community, creating meaningful value, and collectively imagining a future that each of us wants to help shape.

Welcome K52 to ISCM.

Be You. Find Your We. Co-create Our City.

News and photos: Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM)