Viet Nam calls for more EU support in education, training
HA NOI — Viet Nam expected the European Union’s to continue its help with education and training, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said yesterday.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Education and Training Minister, was greeting the EuropeAid Co-operation Office Director General Koos Richelle.
The European Union’s support, especially in education, was much appreciated, he said.
But Viet Nam needed international support to ensure high-quality personnel for its international integration in addition to its own efforts to improve the quality of education and training quality.
The deputy prime minister said he believed that European Union education-related activities in Viet Nam would help enhance bilateral ties in education and training as well as mutual understanding.
The activities included university-education exhibitions, seminars and dialogue between educationalists, including policy makers.
The deputy prime minister’s guest replied that the European Union would continue to provide Official Development Aid to Viet Nam until 2013 when, as forecast by Government, it becomes a medium-income country.
But the European Union did not want to keep using ODA for separate projects. Instead, it would fund sectors, including education.
Hundreds gather
Hundreds of European and Vietnamese educationalists, including university rectors from 27 European countries, gathered at a education seminar that opened in Ha Noi yesterday.
They discussed common trends in European-Asian co-operation, especially between the European Union and Viet Nam, in tertiary and post-graduate education.
Their focus was how to help students attend European universities and obtain the necessary visas.
European-Union universities were willing to take Vietnamese students, the EuropeAid Co-operation Office’s Asia Unit director, Vincent Piket, told the gathering.
The seminar was part of a European Higher Education Fair that will open to the public today at the National Convention Centre, Pham Hung Street, with more than 70 stalls.
European Union countries and organisations have provided 2,000 scholarships for Vietnamese students.
Prestigious Erramus Mundus Scholarships and bilateral co-operation programmes have provided opportunities for Vietnamese students to study at European universities.
Vietnam News Agency - December 8, 2007.
|