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Effective data governance is no longer a back-office concern: it is the foundation on which smart, inclusive and trustworthy cities are built. Against this backdrop, the international workshop Smart Cities: Where Data and Governance Intersect was held at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) on 26 May 2026. It brought together nearly 50 delegates from government agencies, universities, international organizations and the private sector for an interdisciplinary dialogue on data governance and urban innovation.
The event was co-organized by UEH’s Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM) and the Center for Urban Science and Progress at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, with participation from UNESCO and support from partners in the Republic of Korea.
Data governance is no longer a technical issue — it is fundamentally about trust, accountability and public value. As cities invest in data and artificial intelligence, the key question is how these systems can serve people and protect their rights.
The smart city imperative
Vietnam’s cities are at a pivotal moment. Da Nang and Hue are already deploying Intelligent Operations Centres (IOCs) that integrate data from transport, environment, healthcare and public services to support real-time decision making. Da Nang alone has developed 15 groups of smart urban services featuring 160 types of data on its IOC platform. Yet these advances surface critical governance gaps — particularly around institutional fragmentation, limited interoperability between data systems and unclear accountability frameworks.
The model of urban management and operation in the future must be based on data and digital technology to enhance the efficiency of state management and improve the quality of public services. This would help us achieve the goal of making Ho Chi Minh City one of the top 50 smart cities in the world by 2030.
Nguyen KyHo Chi Minh City’s Deputy-Director of the Department of Science and Technology
A practical framework for the digital age
Central to UNESCO’s contribution was the presentation of the Data Governance Toolkit: Navigating the Digital Age, developed in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union. Directly responsive to the challenges that cities like Ho Chi Minh face, the Toolkit provides policymakers with a structured, rights-based framework to:
- define the public value of data;
- establish core governance principles, including transparency, accountability and inclusion;
- clarify institutional roles and responsibilities across government, academia and the private sector;
- Guide implementation across the full data lifecycle — from collection and sharing to use and oversight.
As part of UNESCO’s broader Data Governance in the Digital Age programme, the Toolkit supports Member States in translating policy objectives into actionable, context-specific frameworks — particularly as countries navigate the opportunities and risks of rapid digital transformation.
Applying global approaches to local realities
A highlight of the event was a dedicated Master Class on Data Governance, co-led by Dr Stefaan Verhulst (NYU Co-Founder of The GovLab) and Jonathan Baker (Head of UNESCO’s Hanoi Office), which deepened discussions on responsible, inclusive and effective data governance in smart city development. Participants engaged directly with the Toolkit’s concepts, examining how global data governance principles can be adapted to the specific context of Ho Chi Minh City.
A panel discussion, co-moderated by Dr Verhulst and Assoc. Prof. Trinh Tu Anh (ISCM Director), drew lessons from smart city models worldwide and their applicability locally. Common challenges emerged across contexts: institutional fragmentation, limited data interoperability and the need for clear multi-stakeholder governance responsibilities. These are precisely the gaps that UNESCO’s Toolkit is designed to address.
UEH also showcased its Living Lab model as a practical vehicle for urban innovation: positioning universities as connecting hubs that co-create ideas, test governance solutions and bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Strengthening Vietnam’s digital transformation
UNESCO’s participation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Vietnam’s efforts to build an inclusive, rights-based and people-centred digital ecosystem. By connecting local practitioners, from city officials and tech enterprises to researchers and civil society, with globally tested governance tools, the event demonstrated how international cooperation can translate data governance principles into tangible urban impact.
As Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam’s broader urban network accelerate their ambitions, events like this underscore a fundamental lesson: technology can enable smart cities, but only governance can make them trustworthy.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/enhancing-data-governance-advance-smart-city-development-vietnam?hub=701
