The State Bank of Vietnam published an update on the 7–8 October 2025 “Freshman Welcome 2025” event series themed “Developing human resources in the AI era”, attended by Deputy Governor Nguyễn Ngọc Cảnh, where Banking Times and the Banking Academy signed a cooperation agreement. The cooperation is positioned as a platform for joint policy communication, training and research, including providing students with three proprietary AI software tools (a financial advisory assistant, a finance and banking database assistant, and a specialised English lookup tool). Planned joint work includes research on AI’s impact on banking-sector human resources and international experience in workforce development, alongside seminars and roundtables intended to connect students, educational institutions and credit institutions for internships and employment opportunities. The event materials also highlighted reported reductions of 3,445 staff across 28 banks in the first half of the year versus end-2024, linking workforce optimisation to banks’ increased focus on technology, AI and big data. Following the opening, students engaged with exhibition booths from commercial banks, finance companies and payment intermediaries showcasing products, services and potential cooperation programmes.