On the morning of July 21, at the headquarters of Vietnam Customs School,a memorandum of understanding (MOU)signing ceremony was held on the e-learning management system for Vietnam Customs between Vietnam Customs and the U.S. agency for International Development (USAID).

Attending the signing ceremony, from the Vietnam Customs side, were Deputy General Director of General Department of Customs Mai Xuan Thanh, Director of Project Management Unit; Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phien, Rector of Vietnam Customs School; representatives of departments and all leaders and officers of Vietnam Customs School.

From the USAID side, were Mr. Michael Greene, Director of USAID Vietnam; Dr. Claudio Dordi, Director of USAID Trade Facilitation Program (referred to as USAID TFP) and all the project experts.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy General Director Mai Xuan Thanh highly appreciated USAID's cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs in implementing USAID TFP in Vietnam. The MOU is alandmark in cooperation between the USAID TFP and the Vietnam Customs School.

Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh and Mr. Michael Greene,
Director of USAID Vietnam signed the memorandum. Photo: H. Nu

According to Deputy Director General Mai Xuan Thanh, so far, the training work of Vietnam Customs has mainly been in the form of direct training, combining theory and practice, instruction and task assignment. However, when the whole world enters the fourth industrial revolution, taking the internet, artificial intelligence and information technology as a pillar, it requires Vietnam Customs to change the training method to catch up with that strong development flow.

In particular, in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic, the application of information technology andtraining via the internet has become an indispensable need.

Therefore, cooperation in e-customs learning will be the foundation for the effective and long-term implementation of USAID TFP, which not only meets the human resource training requirements of Customs but is also expected to expand training for customs agents, the business community and investors who are interested in learning about customs and import-export activities.

At the signing ceremony, Director Michael Greene said that the signing fell on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations. This also demonstrates USAID's commitment as a reliable partner to Vietnam’s development in general and for Customs in particular. Accordingly, USAID has been continuing to strongly support the Customs in general and the Vietnamese Customs School in particular in activities to improve training capacity.

Accordingly, USAID TFP Project will support the development of an E-learning Management System (eLMS system) at Vietnam Customs School, acting as a common platform for online Customs learning courses. USAID TFP Project will also operate training courses for officers of Vietnam Customs School on proper use and management skills of the system and for lecturers of Vietnam Customs School on methods to design online courses (via several source lecturer training courses - ToT).

The signing ceremony. Photo: H. Nu

E-learning will help Customs officers have the most up-to-date knowledge, improve their professionalism and skills to overcome current and future challenges, such as illicit transshipment and origin fraud in the process of trade facilitation.

At the signing ceremony, the Rector of Vietnam Customs School Nguyen Dinh Phien also expressed gratitude to the leaders of the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Customs and USAID Vietnam for their support for the unit’s development.

"Support in e-learning comes at a critical time, not just because of the Covid-19 pandemic - that has changed the education or training method, but also e-learning allows Vietnam Customs School and the General Department of Customs to train many Customs officers across the country effectively and creatively to meet the requirements of increasing integration," said Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phien.