Logistics key to sustaining Vietnam's appeal

Multiple issues in regional shipping and logistics, including in Vietnam, were highlighted at the 12^th International Conference of Asian Shipping and Logistics (ICASL 2019) held recently by RMIT University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event saw participants from Australia, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam share and discuss 29 different topics relating to the changes and role of shipping and seaports in Industry 4.0.

President of the Korean Association of Shipping and Logistics, Professor Tae-Won Chung, said ICASL 2019 provided opportunities for professors and researchers globally to meet and discuss current research on Asian shipping and logistics.

It’s no secret that Vietnam is now hailed left and right as the world’s next magnet for investment and manufacturing. However, according to experts, these advantages can be lost if the country does not improve its logistics systems, which remain a headache for investors and businesses alike.

Regional experts discussed this issue at length at the seminar, which was jointly organized by the Korean Association of Shipping and Logistics and Incheon National University, with funding from South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, and RMIT University Vietnam.

“The conference provided a platform for wide-ranging issues that captured Asian shipping and logistics and can be nurtured for the advancement of future research and global collaboration,” Professor Chung said.

Since the first such event held in South Korea in 2008, the conference has expanded beyond its original purpose of exchanging shipping and logistics research between South Korea, Japan, and China. Professor Chung said that Vietnam was chosen to host this year’s conference due to the country’s rapid growth in the shipping and logistics industry.

“We want to provide a platform for international relationships among the researchers involved in shipping and logistics, publication opportunities in journals associated with ICASL, a conducive environment for the participants to share experiences in shipping and logistics fields, opportunities to form partnerships among research participants, and to expand the field of shipping and logistics at the global level,” he added.

Mr. Pham Huy Toan, Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Office of the Vietnam Maritime Administration at the Ministry of Transport, believes the conference contributed significantly to policy considerations for participants’ governments. “Shipping and logistics are very important sectors for Asian countries generally and Vietnam particularly,” he said.

“The Vietnamese Government has conducted many workshops, conferences, seminars, and forums annually, discussing how to improve and develop these sectors efficiently. Through many presentations of scientific papers, ICASL 2019 played an important role in contributing to knowledge in the field and at the same time provided different solutions and suggestions for government, industries, and educators.”

RMIT Vietnam Head of School of Business & Management, Associate Professor Mathews Nkhoma, believes that from exploring the region’s logistical challenges with industry experts, policymakers and academics and participants from Vietnam might discover useful solutions to tackle the country’s current issues.