At least 11 agreements on investment co-operation in the educational field were reached between local and foreign partners during the Forum on Investment and Cooperation in Education which was held on October 16 in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc chairs the forum

The forum saw over 200 delegates from relevant ministries, embassies and foreign organisations in Vietnam take part, aiming to introduce educational policies, enhance co-operation between local and foreign partners, and encourage foreign investors to promote the international integration of the Vietnamese educational sector.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc emphasised that Vietnam has always focused on increasing international education co-operation as internationalisation of education becomes a global trend.

At present Vietnam has established educational co-operative ties with over 100 countries and territories globally and has become an active member of international educational organisations.

As of December 31, 2019, the country had over 500 valid foreign investment co-operation projects in the field of education, capitalized at over US$4.4 billion.

Most notably, Phuc added that the international integration policy has helped improve the overall quality of education and training, elevating the country’s rankings in relation to global education standards.

A total of three Vietnamese institutions were ranked among the top 1,000 higher education institutions worldwide, while eight educational organisations were also listed among the group consisting of the 500 top universities throughout Asia.

In addition, Vietnamese students have achieved high scores at international and regional competitions, raising their rankings as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Deputy Minister Phuc expressed his hope that in the near future, there will be more educational institutions established by domestic and foreign investors locally. He also affirmed that Vietnam has pledged to create the optimal conditions possible for investors in the education sector.

Dante Brandi of the Italian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City noted Italy represents a strategic, qualitative, and dedicated partner for Vietnam in education, adding that the Southern European nation first opened the Uni Italia office in Vietnam in 2013 to promote and support co-operation in education.

The Italian diplomat went on to highlight recent Vietnamese incentive policies in the sector, saying the Italian embassy and Consulate General are willing to fully support potential partners in strengthening connectivity and seeking partners in an effort to achieve effective co-operation.

During the event, representatives from universities and educational organisations also underscored the importance of Industry 4.0 and its impact on Vietnam’s tertiary education by deploying a pilot model to apply a range of digital technologies in education.