Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long: Vietnam - UK educational cooperation is a bright spot

(Chinhphu.vn) - This afternoon, August 7, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Vietnam, Mr. Iain Frew.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Vietnam, Mr. Iain Frew - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Also attending were representatives from the University of Southampton, one of the top 100 universities in the world (according to the QS World Rankings) and the Navitas Group, one of the largest corporations in the education sector.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening the Vietnam-UK Strategic Partnership, in which cooperation in education and training plays an important role. The year 2025 is of great significance in further promoting bilateral relations, especially in the context of the two countries celebrating the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Partnership (2010-2025).

"We have increasingly deeper and more comprehensive trust," the Deputy Prime Minister expressed. In the fields of cooperation, educational cooperation is a bright spot.

The Deputy Prime Minister hopes that the British Ambassador will continue to contribute to promoting educational cooperation between the two countries, acting as a bridge to enhance cooperation between educational institutions on both sides.

The Deputy Prime Minister also asked the British Embassy to promote increasing the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students studying in the UK, as well as accompany Vietnam in its efforts to popularize English and make English a second language.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening the Vietnam-UK Strategic Partnership; hopes that the British Ambassador will continue to contribute to promoting educational cooperation between the two countries, acting as a bridge to promote cooperation between educational institutions on both sides - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

British Ambassador Iain Frew also acknowledged that the Vietnam-UK relationship is developing strongly in many areas, including education and training. A focus of cooperation in the 15 years of establishing the Vietnam-UK Strategic Partnership is education, with many levels and types, from general education, vocational education, English training, etc.

"We are proud to have 12,000 Vietnamese students studying in the UK," Ambassador Iain Frew shared, adding that there are currently many opportunities for Vietnamese students to study at educational institutions in the UK.

He highly appreciated Vietnam's orientation in human resource development, clearly demonstrated through four important resolutions of the Politburo , including Resolution 57 on science and technology. He expressed the UK's interest in supporting Vietnam in improving the quality of education and he himself always strives to increase the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students.

At the meeting, representatives of Southampton University highly appreciated Vietnam's policies and institutions in welcoming international universities and shared about cooperation plans with Vietnam in the field of education.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long presents a souvenir to a representative of Southampton University - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Taking note of the opinions of the British Ambassador and the University of Southampton, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long said that Vietnam has determined to focus on implementing three strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure and human resources, specifically developing high-quality human resources.

Vietnam is prioritizing attracting prestigious international higher education institutions to establish branches in Vietnam, aiming to have at least two more branches of the world's leading universities established in Vietnam by 2030. And Vietnam is becoming an attractive destination for international students and prestigious higher education institutions.

Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister supported and welcomed the University of Southampton’s plan to cooperate in education in Vietnam; wishing to focus on cooperation in areas that Vietnam is in need of such as artificial intelligence (AI), innovation, digital transformation, science and technology, etc.

Duc Tuan

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/pho-thu-tuong-le-thanh-long-hop-tac-giao-duc-viet-nam-anh-quoc-la-mot-diem-sang-102250807195118156.htm