Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim - Secretary of the Party Committee, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (speaking) and Prof. Doan Loi Hoa, Vice Rector of Da Ly University, are chairing the first discussion session.
The Red River basin covers an area of approximately 169,000 square kilometers.2 Of this area, Vietnam occupies the largest portion at 87,840 km², followed by China at approximately 81,200 km², and Upper Laos at 1,100 km². In recent years, educational cooperation between Vietnam and China has been very favorable. In February 1993, a memorandum of understanding on Vietnam-China educational cooperation was signed. By 1996, the two countries had reached an agreement to strengthen cooperation in education and training for the period 1997-2000. On April 18, 2000, they further agreed on exchanges and cooperation for the period 2001-2004. In 2009, the two countries signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of higher education degrees. This is an important legal basis for universities in the Red River Delta to promote cooperation in training high-quality human resources and scientific research.
Cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges have also expanded. The two countries have strengthened cooperation in the fields of cultural industries and human resources. Every year, they exchange numerous performing arts delegations and organize many cultural and sports exchanges. They effectively implement agreements on sports cooperation and actively promote the establishment of cultural centers of each country in the other.
Furthermore, economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and China is increasing. In 2012, total import and export turnover between Vietnam and China reached US$40 billion. By 2013, it had risen to US$49.9 billion, an increase of 21.1%. Investment relations between Vietnam and China have also seen significant development. Chinese FDI into Vietnam reached US$2.3 billion. In particular, economic and trade cooperation with northern Vietnam in Yunnan has also developed strongly, as evidenced by concrete activities such as the Yunnan-Vietnam Economic Forum and the Jincheng-Lao Cai-Hekou-Honghe cross-border economic cooperation zone.
The geographical, economic, cultural, and social conditions have created a need for cooperation in training high-quality human resources among universities in the Red River Delta. Currently, China provides approximately 130 long-term scholarships annually for Vietnamese students. Vietnam has about 13,500 students studying in China, and conversely, China has about 3,500 students studying in Vietnam. Of these, Yunnan province alone has about 2,000 Vietnamese students, accounting for approximately one-third of the total number of international students there.
Training high-quality human resources to serve international integration.
The introductory report, themed "Cooperation in Human Resource Training among Universities in the Red River Basin," presented numerous important proposals and solutions for orienting the training of high-quality human resources among universities in the Red River Basin, such as: student and faculty exchange; short-term training programs (1+3, 1+4); 2+2 training; and postgraduate training.
Regarding student and scholar exchange activities, universities can recognize course credits to enhance student exchanges between universities in the same or related fields. They can also increase the number of scholars sent to universities for teaching and research to exchange knowledge and professional expertise.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Hieu (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) is presenting the introductory report on the topic "Cooperation in training high-quality human resources to serve integration".
Regarding the 1+4 cooperation model, students study the language for the first year at a local university before transferring to a foreign university to complete their undergraduate program. Alternatively, they can study the language for three years at a local university and then spend one year in a foreign university for advanced language training, following the 1+3 model. Short-term summer or winter programs lasting approximately 2 to 6 weeks are also available. Students can study specialized subjects while experiencing life and culture in different regions.
With the 2+2 training model, students spend two years studying a foreign language and foundational subjects domestically to acquire a basic level of knowledge. The remaining two years are dedicated to specialized studies and internships at universities in China or Vietnam. The degree is awarded by one institution or can be a joint degree. Implementing this training model will help students reduce their tuition and living expenses.
The report also highlighted several difficulties in collaborative training among universities in the Red River Delta, such as limited information on academic programs among member institutions; language barriers; a lack of flexibility in training programs, especially in the social sciences and humanities; and uneven infrastructure among universities. These are obstacles to promoting high-quality collaborative training among universities in the Red River Delta.
During the discussions, universities in the Red River Delta generally agreed on the direction of strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of education. Specifically, they agreed to apply 2+2, 1+3, and 1+4 training models to suit the specific majors and specializations of each university. In addition, the university rectors also agreed on increasing exchanges between lecturers and students, as well as cultural, sports, and recreational activities to strengthen solidarity and promote educational cooperation. Culture is one of the shortest paths to connection.
With experience collaborating with over 20 universities in China, Mr. Pham Van Cuong (Rector of Hai Phong University) suggested, "Universities should strengthen leadership exchanges alongside faculty and student exchanges. Direct visits will accelerate decisions on deeper and broader cooperation."
The Rector of the University of Culture added, "More frequent meetings should be organized in the two areas of training and cooperation. Specifically, the leaders of the training departments and the leaders of the international cooperation department need to regularly exchange and meet with each other to obtain diverse information. From there, they can make more proposals and provide advice to the Board of Directors."
Mr. Pham Nhu Cuong - Rector of Hai Phong University - is giving a speech at the forum.
Each university has its own strengths, along with unique characteristics and distinct cultural features that are not overlapping. Therefore, universities can leverage their strengths, integrate into the region, create a transnational playing field, and build a strong community. Taking the principle of exchange and strengthening cooperation in training as the central focus is crucial. Only in this way can we make strong strides in creating a high-quality workforce, said the Vice President of Kunming University.
In addition, other solutions include providing tuition support to reduce the disparity in training costs between schools in the two countries; promoting the effective operation of the forum's secretariat; and building a robust data and information system among the schools in the forum.
Scientific research cooperation to serve regional development.
Besides promoting cooperation in training high-quality human resources, strengthening cooperation in scientific research to serve regional development also plays a very important role. Currently, the Red River basin in particular and the world in general are facing many global issues that require the joint efforts of many countries and nations, such as climate change, sustainable development, cultural exchange, etc.
Through collaborative research, enhancing research capacity will help universities train high-quality human resources, create good scientific products with a significant impact on society and internationally, and strengthen friendly cooperation between the two countries and two territories connected along the Red River basin. Ultimately, all these goals aim to contribute value to the development of the nation in particular and the world in general.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (speaking) and Prof. Cam Tuyet Xuyen - Rector of Hong Ha Academy are chairing the second discussion session.
During the discussions, the leaders of the universities pointed out several topics that universities in the basin could jointly consider and discuss, not only in today's forum, but also as recurring themes in subsequent forums, such as sustainable development – a highly interdisciplinary topic; issues related to culture, tourism, and ethnic groups; urbanization and modernization; and the development of tourism and culture…
The leaders of Hai Phong University proposed two suggestions for future research cooperation: focusing on topics that promote exchanges in the Yunnan-Hai Phong economic corridor; and developing cultural and tourism activities in the corridor of Yunnan provinces and the northern provinces of Vietnam.
Dali University believes there are five areas where research can be pursued in the future: ecological environment, agricultural activities, pharmaceuticals, ethnic culture, and tourism culture. The President of Dali University also suggested that universities could collaborate on research topics closely linked to local activities to secure funding. Furthermore, they proposed promoting information exchange and academic collaboration to enhance the research capabilities of their faculty.
Overview of the afternoon discussion session
Regarding funding, universities can tap into national financial resources, focusing on key national research topics. For example, Vietnam has a policy prioritizing research in the Western Region and Yunnan Province, and the Chinese government provides substantial funding for ecological research. Furthermore, research topics can be linked to local practical activities, transferring research findings to real-life situations, and securing funding from local government support. They can also seek out businesses and social investment opportunities in related fields.
Other issues were also raised, such as sharing scientific research results, leveraging the strengths of the university, and building a common scientific research information database.
Author:Phuong Chi
Newer news
Older news
