Ho Chi Minh City, 18 November 2025 – Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam and MUFG Bank Ltd., in Viet Nam,  launched the Youth Digital Citizen Challenge (YDCC) 2025 Hackathon – AI for Climate Action, in collaboration with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH).

The initiative aims to engage young innovators from across Viet Nam in developing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions that strengthen climate resilience and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta, one of the regions most affected by climate change.

The launch marks a new phase for the YDCC programme, which has evolved from a digital literacy initiative into a national innovation platform connecting youth, technology, and climate action. Through this year’s theme, “AI for Climate: Twin Transitions in Action,” the hackathon will mobilize Viet Nam’s emerging tech talent to contribute to both the digital transformation and green transition agendas.

Ms. Do Le Thu Ngoc, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP in Viet Nam, shared, “We see youth not as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of solutions, as partners who can challenge assumptions, introduce new ways of thinking, and accelerate innovation in ways traditional systems cannot.”

Empowering youth through innovation and collaboration

The YDCC 2025 Hackathon is expected to gather 200 participants from a nationwide call for applications. Over the coming months, youth teams will participate in a series of capacity-building webinars covering local climate challenges, AI applications, design thinking, and innovation methodologies.

The programme will culminate in a 36-hour national hackathon in January 2026, during which participants will collaborate intensively to design and pitch AI-based solutions addressing real-world problems, including smart agriculture, water management, and disaster preparedness.

Kinoshita Shingo, Managing Director, Head of Ho Chi Minh City Branch said, “At MUFG, we believe that innovation and collaboration are the keys to addressing the most pressing challenges of our time. By supporting YDCC 2025, MUFG reaffirms its role as a trusted partner in Vietnam’s climate and digital innovation ecosystem. Together, we are connecting urban digital talents with rural climate realities, fostering solutions that will strengthen resilience in the Mekong Delta and beyond.”

The Challenge will also engage 40-50 mentors and industry experts, including MUFG staff and professionals from the technology and sustainability sectors, to provide hands-on coaching and peer learning for the teams. Winning solutions will be supported for further development and visibility through UNDP’s youth innovation networks.

Driving the twin transitions

The Mekong Delta, often described as Viet Nam’s “rice basket,” faces increasing environmental pressure from rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, and extreme weather. Given its critical in the country’s food security and economic stability, the region has also become a hub for digital innovation to enhance climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

The YDCC 2025 Hackathon underscores the importance of cross-sector collaboration between development partners, academia, and the private sector. By combining UNDP’s convening power and technical expertise with MUFG’s experience in financial innovation and human capital development, the initiative demonstrates how strategic partnerships can translate global goals into local impact.

About UNDP in Viet Nam
UNDP - the Government of Viet Nam partnership officially started in 1978, when there was a very limited foreign presence in the country. Since then, UNDP has stood side-by-side with Viet Nam as it began its development trajectory from poor nation devastated by wat to a lower middle income country championing poverty reduction and leading in growth. 

UNDP has been working closely with the Government of Viet Nam and other partners to expand the choices for people and ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities to realize their full potential. 

Through initiatives on youth empowerment, digital transformation, and climate action, UNDP supports young people to become active contributors to national development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About MUFG Bank, Ltd., Ho Chi Minh City Branch (Vietnam)
MUFG Bank, Ltd. is Japan’s premier bank, with a global network spanning around 40 markets. Outside of Japan, the bank offers an extensive scope of commercial and investment banking products and services to businesses, governments and individuals worldwide.

MUFG Bank’s parent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,000 locations in more than 40 markets. The Group has about 150,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges.

Over the course of more than 100 years operating in Vietnam, MUFG Bank in Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Branch) has been contributing to the prosperity of our clients and the development of Vietnam’s economy.

For additional information, please contact:
Nguyen Viet Lan, UNDP Communications Analyst, 
Emai: nguyen.viet.lan@undp.org, phone: 0914436769