Post by Udo Braendle

Building Bridges: The Austria-Vietnam Future Skills Forum 2025 On December 10, we didn’t just host an event at IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences; we brought a vision to life. Reflecting on the Austria-Vietnam Future Skills Forum that I had the pleasure to moderate, I keep returning to the three "I"s that define our university’s DNA: International, Innovative, and IMC Krems. Thank you Ulrike Prommer for being a great CEO and leader of the University. 🌏 INTERNATIONAL Over the past year, our Founder and Chairman Heinz Boyer and I have traveled thousands of miles to strengthen the academic and business bonds between Krems and the world. In this event, we saw the fruit of that labor as we brought the world to Krems. It was a true honor to welcome H.E. Hoang Vu, the Ambassador of Vietnam, and Vice-Minister Vu Chien Thang to our campus. I would also like to thank Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, who joined us to represent Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Land Niederösterreich. Your presence underscored that this partnership is not just institutional—it is supported by the highest levels of political will. 💡 INNOVATIVE Innovation means addressing the right topics at the right time. We moved beyond theory to discuss the concrete future of labor, skills, and trade. From "skills-first" education models to robust trade logistics, we tackled the challenges of tomorrow, today. This was only possible due to the expertise of our partners. A massive thank you to Wirtschaftskammer Niederösterreich (WKNÖ), ecoplus. Niederösterreichs Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH, and Austrian Business Agency, as well as the City of Krems. 🤝 IMC KREMS Finally, the third "I" stands for our unique community. An event of this magnitude requires a strong team and genuine hospitality. I want to highlight the Tourismusschulen HLF Krems, whose students provided service in traditional Austrian attire that was nothing short of world-class, and WINZER KREMS eG and Weingut Stadt Krems for showcasing our region's culture. To my team at IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences: Thank you. You proved that "Teamwork makes the dream work." We have laid the foundation. Now, we build the future. 🙏 Sincere thanks to our distinguished speakers and panelists: Economic Landscapes & Skills: Vu Truong Giang & Dang Huy Hong (Ministry of Home Affairs), Christian Moser (WKO NÖ), Margit Kreuzhuber (ABA), and Claus Zeppelzauer (ecoplus). Education, Hospitality & Health: Jürgen Kürner & Thomas Gasteiner (Austrian Tourism Schools), Kristin Oberweger (ÖHV), Markus Golla (IMC Krems), Rupert Schreiner (LGA), and Cuong Nguyen. IT & Life Sciences: Deepak Dhungana (IMC Krems) & Simon Tjoa (USTP). Trade Opportunities: Markus Haas (WKO Asia), Michael Zottl (Cargo Partner), Ludwig Holzer(Winzer Krems), and Vu Duy An (Bao Son Group). #IMCKrems #AustriaVietnam #FutureSkills #InternationalEducation #GlobalPartnerships #LowerAustria #Innovation