Le Thuy My Chau, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, said that the city boasts nearly 60 higher education institutions which have been providing high quality human resources for the country's development.

It also serves as a venue to promote technology transfer, apply scientific and technical advances to life, meeting the requirements of industrialisation, modernisation and international integration, she said. Some of the universities have made their way on to prestigious regional and world rankings.

"With that strength, we look forward to exchanging and cooperating with Indian higher education institutions to promote each other's strengths amidst globalisation of education," Chau said.

Madan Mohan Sethi, Indian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said that India and Vietnam have had many cooperation programmes, of which developing high-quality human resources is one of the common goals that both countries are aiming for.

Boasting strengths in a range of fields, including education and training, India wishes to promote cooperation with Vietnam in this field in the coming time, the Indian diplomat added.

Representatives of Indian and Vietnamese universities and businesses affirmed that they will promote collaboration to establish joint education and training programmes in many industries, particularly automation and educational innovation.

Nguyen Thi Thu Suong, acting head of the Office for Science Management under municipal Department of Science and Technology, suggested that units can consider establishing exchange programmes for students, lecturers, and scientists as well as jointly organising seminars, exchanging in-depth knowledge and conducting joint research projects.

Programmes in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) that the city is implementing are relevant to those that have been developed in India, she noted.

Suong held that with extensive experience and achievements in software and information technology, India can provide Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular with experience and high quality training courses, especially in priority areas such as AI, IoT and microchips.