With the witness of Prof Phung Xuan Nha, Minister of Education and Training, and Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Department of International Trade, UK, the British Council in Vietnam signed a memorandum of collaboration (MOC) in education with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) Vietnam. This MOC’s principles were agreed by the two parties in the meeting between the former British Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever and Prof Phung Xuan Nha, Minister of Education and Training in June 2018, aiming to strengthen further the collaboration in education and training between the two countries.
This year, 2018, the United Kingdom and Vietnam celebrate the 45th anniversary of ambassadorial relationship and it’s also the 25 year-of-operation of the British Council in Vietnam so, during the visit to the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, Baroness Fairhead said: ‘Education has long been a priority in the UK-Vietnam strategic partnership. The UK is keen to strengthen cooperation in education and training to contribute to the development of education in Vietnam through an exchange in experience and expertise in areas of strategic interest with the Ministry of Education and Training.’
At the signing ceremony, Minister Phung Xuan Nha and Baroness Fairhead listened to the report on Open Online Learning Centre presented by Mr Allan Taggart, East Asia Regional Director English for Education Systems, the British Council. This report is the result of a survey on the possibility of establishing the Open Online Learning Centre for enhancing English capability and improving English teaching and learning in Vietnam, allowing the possibility of national access, including from remote areas. This report has been conducted by the British Council’s experts with financial support from the Department of International Trade, UK.
Mr Allan Taggart said: ‘During the survey, the experts from the British Council found that data analysis, which helps create optimal learning pathways for different groups of learners, is a great solution in the 21th century. The UK is a leader in the educational technology (Edtech) sector, thus having the ability to effectively implement innovative online teaching and learning methods.
‘With our global English teaching experience, the British Council believes in the ability to assist Vietnam in effectively implementing the Open Online Learning Centre, contributing to the successful implementation of Vietnam's National Foreign Language 2020 Project,’ Mr Allan Taggart added.
Appreciating the importance of education as a factor in economic and social welfare development, as well as a means to foster collaboration between the UK and Vietnam, the two parties believe that educational collaboration will benefit both countries. The purpose of the MOC between the MoET and the British Council is to strengthen the educational collaboration and contribute to the educational development in Vietnam through experience exchange and cooperation in strategic priority areas. Continuing the MOC signed by the MoET and the British Council in 2008, this renewal of the MOC will focus on three areas:
- collaboration to encourage the process of internationalising the education sector in Vietnam
- collaboration to encourage and promote the development of quality assurance and standards in education
- collaboration to enhance English capability and to share experience with educational managers, meeting the requirement of international integration.
With a strong desire for the UK to continue providing financial support and assistance to Vietnam in developing the education sector, Minister Phung Xuan Nha shared his appreciation for the Ministry of Education and Training’s ongoing partnership with the British Council in teaching English language and in assisting with the implementation of Vietnam’s National Foreign Language 2020 Project. At the signing ceremony, the Minister also spoke on prioritising the promotion of joint training programmes between Vietnamese and UK universities, highlighting the benefits of fostering close cooperation between educational institutions in Vietnam and the UK in the fields of education and training, and emphasising educational quality assurance.
The British Council has been working with Vietnam since 1993. In 2018, we are marking this 25th anniversary with a series of events celebrating cultural relations and exchange between the UK and Vietnam.