  We are planning to build an observatory that includes a 40 cm optical
telescope at Tay Nguyen University (TNU), Daklak Province, Vietnam. In this
paper, we report the initial activities of our project. First, to prepare for
the scientific exploitation of the observatory, we organized the observational
nights for students at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science
and Education, Qui Nhon in April 2017 and at the Nha Trang Observatory, Nha
Trang in November 2018. These activities aim to provide students with the
skills of astronomical observations and to create their passion in astronomy
study. Second, we are organizing the annual Exploration Program in Astrophysics
Research (EPAR) at TNU. The goals of EPAR are to promote the teaching and
learning activities at TNU and promoting collaboration between TNU and other
institutes. Finally, we are conducting joint research project between TNU and
Kyoto astronomical observatory of Kyoto university to prepare for the technical
details of the observatory.
