Dr. Viet Dung Trinh,
Susan Brand-Bui & Ina Litterst
Fast‑Track Campus
Dr. Viet Dung Trinh,
Susan Brand-Bui & Ina Litterst
Fast‑Track Campus
Set up an international campus of Kühne Logistics University (KLU) in 18 months? That might sound impossible – finding space, securing licenses, and recruiting students in a market where KLU is little known. A trio made it happen, though: Viet Dung Trinh, Campus Director KLU Asia; his deputy Susan Brand-Bui, and Ina Litterst, in charge of KLU’s international development. The idea took shape in mid‑2024, and by late October 2025 the first 24 master’s students were ready to start in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The campus in Asia serves students with professional experience, offering the same flagship curriculum and quality as in Hamburg. Courses are delivered through a co-teaching model combining KLU professors from Hamburg with local lecturers, complemented by regional case studies and industry speakers. What sets KLU apart from other logistics and supply chain programs in Vietnam is the inclusion of strong digitalization, sustainability, and leadership components in the curriculum. But Viet Dung Trinh doesn’t see the new international campus as a competition: “We are not just another university. We are not here to compete. We use collaboration as a way to create something bigger and better.”
Vietnam was chosen because of its robust economic growth and budding position as a logistics hub. There is already a solid undergraduate pipeline in the country, but few options beyond that. What’s more: “There’s a real hunger for knowledge here – and an energy, a momentum – that makes Vietnam the right place to build a campus,” says Susan Brand‑Bui. As such, KLU – one of the Kühne Foundation’s most important initiatives since 2010 – is bringing its supply‑chain education closer to where it’s most needed, steered by the Kühne Foundation`s pragmatic approach.
Looking ahead, the task is to continue increasing brand awareness in the country; traction is expected to build as graduates demonstrate their newly acquired skills in the workplace. Vietnam is the first step in a broader internationalization of KLU – Africa and Latin America are the next locations for campuses set to build an interlinked learning network. “The discipline of supply chain is very global; the education that caters to it should also be global,” says Ina Litterst.
“There’s a real hunger for knowledge here – and an energy, a momentum – that makes Vietnam the right place to build a campus.”
Susan Brand-Bui
The First KLU Vietnam Cohort
In just two and a half months, the initial 24 master’s students were recruited for the KLU Vietnam campus. The cohort’s average age is 29, with about seven years of work experience – and all come from logistics or supply‑chain roles, mostly at mid‑management level. The program lets them accelerate their careers, supported by a tiered scholarship system that helps ease the financial burden.
Prof. Dr Arne Heinold
Olivia Lamenya
Prof. Dr Mirjam Schenk