The international Sustainability Alliance of Urban Network projects in Asian Cities (SAUNAC) is a collaboration between higher education institutions, including HU, companies and government agencies from different countries. SAUNAC aims to modernize education in Vietnam, train skillful professionals in the field of Smart Sustainable Cities and contribute to the sustainability of Vietnamese cities.

This is achieved by promoting cooperation between Vietnamese and European higher education institutions and the other institutions involved. Among other things, an educational module is being developed, parts of which will be made public so that SAUNAC can have a major impact in the region. Educational innovation has an important place within the project. Innovative teaching methods are exchanged, such as blended learning, flipped classroom and new ICT tools.

SAUNAC is an ERASMUS + capacity building project and builds on the CARPE project ESSENCE. Vietnam has been chosen because CARPE partner Turku University of Applied Science has regularly carried out projects there and has good experience with cooperation. In addition, Vietnam has a strong need to accelerate the sustainability of cities.

At present, 45% of the population live in cities and that percentage is growing rapidly. That has a negative impact on the quality of life. The Vietnamese government has set itself the goal of reducing exhaust emissions, among other things, and switching to sustainable energy sources. SAUNAC helps partner institutions in Vietnam.

For more information about this project, please contact Martijn Rietbergen.