The plan was announced at a meeting in Canberra on September 7 between leaders from the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Deputy Minister of Education and Training (MoET) Pham Vu Luan. 

He informed the host of Vietnam’s policy to encourage prestigious universities, colleges and vocational training schools in Australia to open branches in Vietnam. 

The MoET delegation also sought Australian support for a project to teach and study foreign languages for the 2008-20 period, with a focus on training English teachers for Vietnamese schools and encouraging Vietnamese students to follow post-graduate courses in Australia.

Both sides agreed to provide Vietnamese students with full and accurate information on Australian education for in preparation for their studies. 

Australian officials also promised to help Vietnam in a project to train leaders and managers abroad. 

According to Deputy Minister Luan, the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will send a delegation to Vietnam in November to decide on concrete steps to further their shared objectives in this field. 

So far the number of Vietnamese trained in Australia has reached over 17,000, in addition to some 14,000 other students attending Vietnam-based Australian universities.