The meeting, co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Training and the British Council, is part of activities of a memorandum of understanding on educational cooperation signed by the Vietnamese and British governments in 2008, which declared tertiary education as one of the five key areas for cooperation between the two countries.

Addressing the event, British Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Peter Connolly said that over the past years the two countries have shared a common view on the importance of reforming education.

Reaffirming that the British Government will continue to assist Vietnam in the area, he cited the fact that many British universities are interested in establishing cooperative ties with their Vietnamese counterparts.

According to the British diplomat, more than 200 Vietnamese students are studying in Britain thanks to British Government scholarships.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Le Huong from the Ministry of Education and Training told the participants in the meeting that the Vietnamese government gives high priority to renewing tertiary education to meet regional and international standards.

She said she hopes that discussions at the meeting will help lay a foundation for universities of both countries to increase information exchange, experience sharing and cooperation.

On this occasion, an annual British education exhibition will be held in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City. A gala night for those who formerly studied in Britain will also be organised in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.