Hanoi, Vietnam, December 3, 2020—A holistic course aims to equip Vietnam's future architects and engineers with key skills, helping them drive green building adoption in the country. Green buildings can serve as a sustainable solution to the nation's growing infrastructure needs, thereby spurring low-carbon economic growth and creating skilled jobs.
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—has signed license and cooperation agreements with the National University of Civil Engineering and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology to localize a course in green construction. Covering a wide range of topics, the "Designing for Greater Efficiencies" program is aimed to guide students in designing bioclimatic and resource-efficient architecture.
"The National University of Civil Engineering started introducing green features in architecture since 2017, but the lack of comprehensive teaching materials and knowledge transfer have limited the initiative from being effective. With IFC's support, we are now delighted to introduce this course for future architects in an internationally recognized format that offers a global perspective and a local context," said Pham Xuan Anh, Vice Rector of the National University of Civil Engineering.
The course's core content was developed by ETH Zurich, a premier Swiss University, under the guidance of a steering committee of instructors from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia, among others. The program is likely to see at least 400 young architects with green building design skills joining the workforce every year, thereby driving green building momentum in Vietnam.
"The unique feature of the course is the connection between knowledge and practice. Students will be introduced to IFC's EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) application to calculate the cost of going green and utility savings for any specific project. The platform's rich and comprehensive data will help students predict accurate performance results. This will be a powerful tool for them to practice green design as young professionals," said Le Anh Tuan, Dean of Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.
In Vietnam, buildings account for one-third of the country's total annual energy use. At the same time, its long and low-lying coastline makes it one of the top five countries most vulnerable to climate change. In response, as part of its Green Building Market Transformation Program, in 2019, IFC developed a green building course for Hanoi University of Architecture and University of Architecture of Ho Chi Minh City.
"An IFC analysis estimates the demand for green housing units in Vietnam will represent a multibillion-dollar investment opportunity by 2030. The country will need skilled professionals who can enable better, more sustainable design decisions," said Kyle Kelhofer, IFC Country Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR. "IFC's green building training program will prepare a skilled cadre of architects in Vietnam to enhance their role as leaders in sustainable, more climate friendly urbanization in Vietnam."
In partnership with the governments of Switzerland and the United Kingdom, IFC has been working closely with the private sector to introduce EDGE—a voluntary green building certification for emerging markets over the past six years.
About IFC
IFC—a member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2020, we invested $22 billion in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
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