The School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (VNU-SIS) is an educational institution under Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), established in 2002. The School was developed on the foundation of the Graduate School (founded in 2002) and the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Sciences (established in 2017), and it adopted its current name pursuant to Decision No. 333/QĐ-ĐHQGHN dated 29 January 2024 issued by the President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The mission of the School is training high-quality human resources through interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches; pioneering the development of cultural industries, creativity and arts; conducting research, knowledge transfer, and policy consultancy; and contributing to national development, protection, and international integration.

The School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts has the primary function and mandate of serving as the focal unit responsible for developing and implementing new training programs that are interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral in nature. At present, the School offers 8 undergraduate programs including Brand Management, Heritage Resource Management, Entertainment and Event Management, Smart and Sustainable Urban Governance, Creative Design (with three specializations: Fashion and Creativity; Digital Graphic Design; Sustainable Interior Design), Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Visual Arts (with two specializations: Art Photography; Contemporary Visual Arts) and Communication Technology (with two specializations: Game Design; Visual Communication Design), 5 master’s programs (Climate Change; Sustainability Science; Heritage Studies; Urban Development Management; Cultural and Creative Industries) and 2 PhD programs (Climate Change & Sustainable Development; Heritage Studies) that aim for strong scientific foundations and high practical applicability, meeting the evolving needs of society.

To date, the School has more than 3,400 full-time undergraduate students studying across four campuses: Hòa Lạc, Xuân Thủy, Mỹ Đình, and Nghĩa Đô; and more than 200 graduate students and doctoral candidates, many of whom are working in enterprises, agencies, departments, and organizations, actively contributing to the development of their respective institutions and the country as a whole. With a large and reputable body of lecturers, experts, and scholars across diverse fields such as heritage studies, cultural and creative industries, the arts, branding, architecture, urban studies, and sustainability science, the School is steadily striving to become a strong and capable institution in conducting high-quality scientific research that addresses both national and international challenges, and is also a leading unit in developing artistic practice activities and fostering creativity in Hanoi, contributing to strengthening the city’s position within the global network of creative cities around the world.

With the slogan “Creating the future through interdisciplinary knowledge,” the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts seeks to convey a message affirming the value of interdisciplinary knowledge in building and advancing new knowledge systems, as well as in addressing the emerging challenges of future societies. At the same time, through its core values – “interdisciplinary thinking,” “liberal spirit,” and “global vision”- the School aims to highlight an educational philosophy and environment in which the development of knowledge and careers transcends existing frameworks, grounded in the strengths and passions of each individual. It is also a place that nurtures individuals capable of synthetic and integrative thinking, equipped with broad, cross-disciplinary understanding and the knowledge and skills necessary to work in diverse professional environments both domestically and internationally.