Introduction
- The UK Vietnam Higher Education Partnership (UK−VN HEP) Initiative helps enable partnerships between the UK and Vietnam, creating opportunities for UK institutions to share knowledge and experience with Vietnam partners through delivering a range of diverse and meaningful activities to strengthen collaboration, supporting Vietnam HEIs in comprehensive improvement in quality of teaching, learning, research and technology transfer to respond to the need of high quality workforce so that to improve Vietnam competitiveness regionally and globally.
- For 2018−2020, 12 projects under the areas of Leadership and Governance, TNE and Quality Assurance, University Industry link, and Research and Mobility were supported under the UK-VN HEP with the participation of over 50 UK and Vietnamese higher education institutions, businesses and organisations.
- To enble sharing between the projects, the UK Vietnam Higher Education Network was formally introduced by Vice Minister Nguyen Van Phuc during the UK Vietnam Higher Education Collaboration Forum in October 2018 with an aim of contributing to the implementation of ambitious education reform in Vietnam, driving the move towards a knowledge economy and continuing to strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader and valued partner in higher education and research.
- The UK Vietnam HE Network initially comprises UK and Vietnamese universities, organisations and businesses who join in partnerships under the UK−VN HEP initiative and is subject to expand to include new members.
- The network is expected to be a platform for UK and Vienam HEIs to discuss future teaching and research priorities of two countries through partnerships. Furthermore, The network creates the opportunity to connect with other UK-VN HEP projects and to further learning and engagement, to discuss new models, case studies learned through UK−VN HEP projects, and to learn and share UK and Vietnam experience and expertise in key priorities for higher education in Vietnam which are Leadership and Governance, TNE and Quality Assurance, University Industry link, and Research and Mobility.
- The first official leadership meeting of the network was carried out in June 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City with mostly Vietnamese universities. The meeting resulted in an agreed governance framework of the network and a plan until March 2020.
- The second leadership meeting of the network is planned to take place in the UK in November 2019.
Objectives
- To create an opportunity for leadership team of UK and Vietnamese universities of the UK Vietnam Higher Education Network to meet and network
- To provide Vietnamese universities an opportunity to interact with UK HEIs, professional research bodies and HE organisations in the UK in the key areas of University Links for Industry Engagement and Quality TNE development, with sub-themes on University Industry links, Technology Transfer, Programme Accreditation and Credit transfer, Curriculum Development, Start Up and Innovation, Joint Research, Joint PhD Training, etc.
- To nominate a UK Co-chair of the UK Vietnam Higher Education Network, who is implementing HEP projects
- To brainstorm and agree on the strategy, direction and action plan for the UK Vietnam Higher Education Network
Timing: 4–8 November 2019
Working programme:
The working programme is planned to include:
- Visit to the British Council Headquarters in London to understand British Council’s agenda in supporting higher education, science and research, innovation, EMI, etc.
- Meetings and networking with University UK International Unit (UUKi); Department of International Trade (DIT), Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); UK Research Institutes (URKI), UK Academies, Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Innovate UK that support higher education collaboration, quality assurance, research and funding opportunities
- Visits to UK universities for knowledge learning and sharing in key areas of priorities of the UK−VN HEP initiative, i.e. University leadership and governance, University Industry links, Transnational Education and Quality Assurance, and Research and Mobility. The focus can be more on:
- quality Assurance especially for TNE programmes
- curriculum development, programme accreditation and recognition
- joint PhD training
- university industry linkage, including internship opportunities for Vietnamese students in the UK and vice versa
- technology transfer
- innovation, social innovation, social enterprise in universities
- research collaboration to maximise available sources of funding, e.g. Newton Fund, Global Challenges Research Fund, etc.
- a higher education conference exploring future approaches to TNE
- a networking event with wider UK universities for partnership opportunities in higher education, science and innovation and society
- a leadership strategic meeting for UK and Vietnamese universities in the network.