From personal data protection and artificial intelligence to urban governance and climate justice, ULAW Legal Insight is expanding the reach of scholarly knowledge and legal expertise from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (ULAW) to the wider community. This integrated knowledge-sharing ecosystem reflects an innovative approach to academic communication, grounded in the University's research capabilities, contributions to policymaking, and commitment to social responsibility as a research-oriented institution.
The official visual identity of ULAW Legal Insight, reflecting the University's commitment to advancing legal scholarship, promoting knowledge dissemination, and strengthening connections between academia and society
Transforming Academic Communication Through Scholarly Expertise
How does a newly introduced policy affect businesses? What obligations do personal data protection regulations impose on individuals? What emerging legal challenges accompany the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence? Amid the continuous flow of information across digital platforms, public expectations increasingly extend beyond merely being informed that a new legal provision has been enacted. Readers and audiences seek a deeper understanding of its underlying context, practical implications, and application in real-world situations.
These evolving expectations also present new challenges for institutions engaged in legal education and research. Beyond reporting on institutional activities, university communication initiatives must effectively convey scholarly expertise, facilitate public access to evidence-based legal analysis, and create broader opportunities for academic exchange and intellectual engagement.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Lê Trường Sơn, Secretary of the University Party Committee and Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, has spearheaded the development of substantive digital content initiatives founded upon academic knowledge and professional expertise. On June 23, 2026, the University issued Plan No. 968/KH-ĐHL, establishing the framework for developing ULAW Legal Insight as an integrated digital knowledge and content ecosystem.
Dr. Lê Trường Sơn, Secretary of the University Party Committee and Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, has spearheaded the development of ULAW Legal Insight as a strategic initiative to advance academic communication, strengthen research dissemination, and enhance the University's societal impact
ULAW Legal Insight is conceived as a multi-platform academic communication ecosystem that brings together lecturers, researchers, and subject-matter experts from within and beyond the University. The involvement of a Professional Advisory Board, together with the Rector's direct oversight, provides an institutional foundation for identifying issues of scholarly significance and practical relevance, while ensuring that the programme's content remains aligned with ULAW's broader strategic development objectives.
The dissemination of legal knowledge constitutes an important component of this ecosystem. Beyond this educational function, however, the initiative seeks to advance in-depth legal analysis, facilitate critical policy evaluation, identify emerging legal and regulatory challenges, and explore potential solutions. Through this approach, ULAW draws upon its established strengths as a key institution for legal education and research, while advancing its vision of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary development with law at its core.
From Contemporary Legal Issues to Evidence-Based Policy Dialogue
Within just over three months of implementation, ULAW Legal Insight has released 20 episodes addressing a diverse range of subjects, including personal data protection, taxation, land law, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, urban governance, the maritime economy, carbon markets, and climate justice. This thematic diversity reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of contemporary legal issues and their profound implications for economic development, technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and public governance.
For each subject addressed, the programme's distinctive contribution lies in its ability to situate legal provisions within their broader social and institutional contexts, examine their implications for relevant stakeholders, and identify questions warranting further consideration. What begins as an examination of a contemporary issue can consequently evolve into a substantive dialogue concerning institutional quality, regulatory effectiveness, and future policy options.
ULAW Legal Insight therefore serves a broad and diverse audience, encompassing policymakers, businesses, legal practitioners, academics, researchers, and students. Legal professionals gain access to informed perspectives that can enrich their professional understanding; businesses acquire insights relevant to identifying and assessing legal risks; and students are exposed to the ways in which scholars formulate research questions, construct legal arguments, and connect theoretical knowledge with practical realities.
An overview of ULAW Legal Insight, a multi-platform digital knowledge ecosystem designed to disseminate scholarly expertise, foster public engagement, and connect legal knowledge with contemporary societal challenges
To address these diverse needs, the Department of Communications and Enterprise Relations works closely with academic experts to coordinate a structured content production process, encompassing topic selection, speaker engagement, scholarly review, and publication. In communicating complex legal matters, accessibility of language must be balanced with doctrinal precision, while analytical interpretations and scholarly opinions must be clearly distinguished from the provisions of applicable law. Academic rigour must remain uncompromised, even when content is condensed or adapted to suit the formats and requirements of individual digital platforms.
Looking ahead, the ecosystem's development will combine strategically planned thematic programmes with timely responses to newly emerging issues. Videos, podcasts, and in-depth analytical articles can complement one another, enabling audiences to engage with legal knowledge through their preferred formats while gradually establishing a searchable and enduring repository of scholarly resources.
In accordance with the Rector's strategic vision, the effectiveness of ULAW Legal Insight should be evaluated not merely through quantitative measures of digital engagement, but more importantly through its credibility, practical utility, and contribution to informed policy discourse. Audience reach, viewership figures, and interaction rates provide indicators of public engagement; its enduring value, however, lies in establishing ULAW as a trusted source of authoritative, evidence-based, and intellectually rigorous legal perspectives for students, practitioners, and the wider community.
Advancing Scholarly Publishing and International Academic Integration
Alongside the expansion of digital knowledge communication, ULAW continues to place considerable emphasis on improving the quality of scholarly publishing. In September 2025, the Vietnamese Journal of Legal Sciences announced its new operating licence, authorising both print and electronic journal formats and thereby broadening opportunities for the publication and dissemination of scholarly research from Viet Nam and abroad.
Of particular significance, the Vietnamese Journal of Legal Sciences (VJLS), the English-language scholarly publication associated with the Vietnamese Journal of Legal Sciences, has been accepted for inclusion in Scopus, a highly regarded international abstract and citation database. This achievement represents an important milestone in the University's efforts to enhance academic publishing standards and deepen international scholarly integration, while increasing the visibility and accessibility of Vietnamese legal research within the global academic community.
VJLS publishes English-language scholarship addressing legal issues and related interdisciplinary fields through a peer-review process and an open-access publishing model. In doing so, the journal provides scholars from Viet Nam and overseas with an academic forum for examining Vietnamese law, engaging in comparative analysis of international legal experiences, and exploring shared challenges across diverse legal systems and jurisdictions.
Within ULAW's institutional strategy, the development of scholarly journals and academic communication initiatives represents two mutually reinforcing dimensions of knowledge creation and dissemination. Scholarly publishing establishes a rigorous intellectual foundation through original research and critical peer review, while ULAW Legal Insight translates relevant research findings and expert analyses into accessible forms for broader audiences. Conversely, questions arising from everyday life, business operations, and public administration can inform new lines of inquiry and stimulate further research among the University's academic community.
ULAW Legal Insight Episode 6 explores contemporary international law of the sea and its implications for the development of Viet Nam’s maritime economy, with a strategic vision towards 2045
Professor Dr. Đỗ Văn Đại provides expert legal insights into new regulations governing the use of foreign currencies in transactions in Viet Nam, highlighting their implications for legal compliance and practice
Associate Professor Dr. Lưu Quốc Thái examines key legal issues and practical challenges arising from the implementation of Viet Nam’s 2024 Land Law, identifying regulatory complexities that warrant further clarification and resolution
Towards a Digital University and Meaningful Societal Impact
ULAW Legal Insight has emerged from the University's wider efforts to innovate and modernise its digital communication infrastructure. Since April 2025, ULAW TV has produced ULAW News bulletins, feature reports, and discussion programmes, while career-oriented initiatives such as ULAW Expert Talk have further diversified the University's engagement with students and other learners. Building upon this foundation, ULAW Legal Insight introduces a dedicated platform for substantive legal analysis and scholarly dialogue.
As part of its strategic vision for developing a digital university by 2030, ULAW is integrating advances in technological infrastructure, data systems, and digital tools with reforms in institutional governance, teaching, and research. High-quality digital learning resources and scholarly content enable students to engage more independently with academic knowledge, remain informed about emerging issues, develop critical thinking skills, and strengthen their capacity for self-directed learning. At the same time, the growing application of artificial intelligence underscores the importance of information verification, respect for intellectual property rights, and the responsible conduct of academic activities.
The continued development of ULAW Legal Insight, together with the progress achieved by VJLS in international academic integration, demonstrates a coherent institutional direction: strengthening the quality of scholarly knowledge while expanding its capacity to generate meaningful benefits for society. By connecting academic research with policy dialogue and real-world needs, the University continues to cultivate its institutional reputation through the substantive educational, intellectual, and societal value it delivers to learners and the broader community.
Prepared by: Department of Communications and Enterprise Relations