DeFi 2025 sponsored by Hanwha Life, bringing together businesses and the academic community.

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Việt Nam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU) successfully hosted the International Scientific Conference on Digital Economy and Financial Technology Innovation 2025 (DeFi) on December 20, with the participation and sponsorship of Hanwha Life and ChorogUsan for Children.

DeFi 2025 focused on in-depth discussion sessions and the presentation of academic research addressing key issues of the digital economy and digital transformation. The programme was structured around three main thematic areas: policies to promote digital transformation; the digital economy and Industry 4.0; and technological advances in the financial sector.

Through keynote presentations and academic exchanges, the conference sought to clarify both theoretical and practical issues, while proposing solutions, models and policy recommendations to foster the development of the digital economy and the fintech ecosystem in Việt Nam and the wider region.

DeFi 2025 attracted nearly 200 authors, scholars and experts from Việt Nam and abroad, ensuring a high level of academic rigour, objectivity and professional value.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huỳnh Công Pháp, Rector of VKU and Head of the Organising Committee, the conference received strong interest from the scientific community, with nearly 100 academic papers submitted from 10 countries and territories, including Russia, the Republic of Korea, India, Thailand, Australia, Bangladesh, Taiwan (China), Cambodia, Malta, and Việt Nam.

The conference featured two notable keynote reports: “Think Global, Deploy Local – An Alternative Approach to Social Media” by Professor Dr Eng. Herwig Unger of the University of Hagen, Germany; and “The Digital Economy at a Crossroads” by Dr Sangwon Ko, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Information Society Development Institute, Vice Chairman of Study Group 1 of the Development Sector under the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, and Executive Committee Member of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.

DeFi 2025 features a strong line-up of international speakers.

Sponsored by Hanwha Life, DeFi 2025 marked one of the key activities within the 2025 strategic cooperation framework between Hanwha Life, ChorogUsan for Children and VKU. Previously, the three partners successfully co-organised the 6th Central Highlands and Central Việt Nam Informatics Olympiad, followed by a study tour to the Republic of Korea for competition winners, outstanding fintech students from universities, and students with notable contributions to the Hanwha Life Finance Mentor programme.

A representative of Hanwha Life stated: “DeFi 2025 is a large-scale event that has attracted the participation of many international experts. Through this conference, we hope to build a high-quality academic forum that helps disseminate knowledge, enhance research capacity, and promote initiatives and practical solutions for the development of the digital economy and fintech in Việt Nam. At the same time, the event opens up opportunities to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, and to expand research networks for Vietnamese talent.”

Since 2024, Hanwha Life Vietnam and ChorogUsan for Children have partnered with VKU as strategic partners, actively implementing a range of in-depth activities to raise awareness of financial technology within the community, nurture and develop young talent, and sponsor learning equipment and experiential programmes.

These efforts clearly demonstrate Hanwha Life’s long-term commitment and corporate social responsibility in investing in education, developing high-quality human resources, and promoting scientific research and innovation for sustainable community development, particularly in the fields of the digital economy and fintech in Việt Nam.

DeFi is a reputable international scientific conference initiated by VKU and oriented towards annual organisation. Operating under a distinctive model, DeFi builds an open platform for speakers to share knowledge while creating a concise, selective discussion space, enabling participants to absorb focused and effective insights within a one-day conference format. As part of the “Future Plus” project, Hanwha Life will continue to actively support fintech education and the development of talented human resources in Việt Nam. — VNS