University told to better serve as Vietnam-Germany link

Talking to the VGU’s leaders, lecturers, employees and students, PM Phuc applauded the university’s achievements since it was set up nine years ago, describing them as a great effort by the school to absorb and share the quintessence of Germany’s advanced education and science-technology with Vietnam.

Those initial attainments have contributed to the provision of high-quality human resources for socio-economic development in Vietnam, he noted.

He thanked the German Government, particularly the administration of Hessen state, for their assistance while valuing Binh Duong authorities’ support and favourable conditions for the VGU, which is considered a “lighthouse” in Vietnam-Germany cooperation.

The Government leader said he hopes the VGU will further connect Germany’s advanced education and mechanical engineering industry with education reforms in Vietnam, thereby helping to promote the countries’ strategic partnership.

Suggesting development directions for the school, PM Phuc asked the VGU management board to gear its training towards the fields Vietnam lacks manpower and prioritises such as mechanical engineering industry, urban development and auto mechanics, which are also the strength of Germany.

The university needs to soon become a university meeting global standards and participating in the settlement of Vietnam’s development problems, he added.

The VGU establishment was initiated by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the Hessian Ministry for Science and the Arts. In June 2010, the World Bank provided a preferential loan of 200 million USD for the VGU project to support Vietnam’s tertiary education reform programme.

The VGU is aimed to become a research university with high quality and a leading training and sci-tech research centre reaching international level in Vietnam.

It is providing 11 training programmes, including six for postgraduates and five for undergraduates, in electrical engineering and information technology, construction techniques, mechanical and production engineering, computer science, and economics and management.-