Some 300 delegates from nearly 80 AUF member universities and educational establishments of Belgium, France and Canada attended the conference to discuss orientations for the AUF operation in the Asia-Pacific region, the situation of international university cooperation and the role of international organisations in the development of tertiary education in the region. They are also expected to consider revisions to the conference’s regulations on admitting new members.
Opening the conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Banh Tien Long highlighted the important role the AUF plays in fostering cooperation among French language training establishments, benefiting universities in Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.
The deputy minister said Vietnam’s universities want to expand their cooperation with Francophone partners, especially in a State-funded programme to train 20,000 people at the doctoral level from now until 2020. According to Long, the country has sent 500 people abroad under this programme so far this year.
Nearly 50 universities and research institutes in Vietnam have become AUF members since the organisation entered the country in 1993.
The conference of Francophone university rectors in the Asia-Pacific, which was organised for the first time in Hanoi in 2000, aims to foster the cooperation between the Asia-Pacific and other regions in the Francophone community through inter-regional cooperation agreements.
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VOV: How will the conference impact on Vietnam’s education sector?
Deputy Minister Long: The conference is of great significance as it provides a development opportunity for Vietnamese universities, especially those with courses taught in French. The Ministry of Education and Training has proposed that universities strengthen cooperation in PhD training.
VOV: What do you think about the current BA and BSc courses taught in French in Vietnam?
Deputy Minister Long: About 4,000 engineers are being trained under France-Vietnam cooperation programmes. Their diplomas and degrees are recognized by France.
The MA economic courses in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Economic Colleges are also very good.
However, I think those universities having courses taught in French should further invest in their infrastructure construction and boost their cooperation with their partners in the French-speaking community. |
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