NZ-Viet Nam education relationship set to grow

Education collaboration between New Zealand and Viet Nam is set to grow following the signing this afternoon of a renewed Education Co-operation Arrangement.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Viet Nam’s Minister for Education and Training Pham Vu Luan signed the arrangement today in Ha Noi at the second New Zealand-Viet Nam Education Forum.

“About 60 percent of Viet Nam’s population of 90 million people are under the age of 30, and Viet Nam is focused on improving education standards to ensure students can contribute fully to the country’s development,” Mr Joyce says.

“This presents a big opportunity for New Zealand to deliver more joint education initiatives with local partners who are focused on building skills for the workforce, and also to grow the number of Vietnamese students spending some time studying in New Zealand.”

The arrangement will strengthen New Zealand education providers’ links with local partners and underpin the development of more partnerships in areas such as teaching qualifications.

“It’s encouraging to see the relationships between New Zealand and Vietnamese universities, particularly through joint programmes, giving students the opportunity to experience the best of both academic worlds.” 

Mr Joyce will tomorrow attend a ceremony for graduates of the Bachelor of Computing and Information Sciences jointly delivered by AUT University and the University of Science, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

He will also be guest of honour at an inaugural fashion collaboration showcasing New Zealand’s creative and innovative education sector in Viet Nam and highlighting the growing ties between education institutions in both countries.

Twenty students from Otago Polytechnic, Massey University, Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, AUT University, Ho Chi Minh City School of Architecture, and Ha Noi University of Industrial Arts spent three months preparing collections.

They were judged by New Zealand fashion designer Tamsin Cooper, Fashion Mentor and Head Producer of Viet Nam’s Project Runway 2014-15 Mr Tung Leo, NZ’s honorary tourism envoy in Viet Nam Jennifer Pham, and Ambassador to Viet Nam Haike Manning.

“These activities give Vietnamese and Kiwi students the opportunity to learn a huge amount about each other’s cultures, form lasting bonds, and develop knowledge that could be applied to our growing trade, investment and education links with Viet Nam in future years,” Mr Joyce says.

He returns to New Zealand on 8 August.