Warm greetings from beautiful autumnal days in Hanoi!

We’ve had such a busy summer in Vietnam, with lots of exciting Partnership activities with Vietnamese universities and education agents, pre-departure briefings for 200 students, a new data collection system which captures all the information about students going to study in the UK, services offered for 28 members of the Education UK Partnership and last but not least the successful launch of our newly redesigned Education UK web site.

Read on to find out more.

If you require further information or have any queries please contact VN-Education UK Partnership (Vietnam)

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has announced several new initiatives. A top university for scientific research and a joint German – Vietnamese university are to be established in the next year, taking Vietnam further towards its goal of educational excellence. Also, 21 scholarships will be awarded for study in the UK in the 2007 selection round. Finally, MOET has called for Vietnamese universities to work with overseas partners in setting up advanced programmes in Vietnamese universities, which will improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Meanwhile, the first six months of this year saw a steady rise in the number of UK study visas issued, compared with the same period last year. The UK and Vietnam have also set up a joint economic and trade committee (JETCO) to strengthen ties between the two countries.

And finally, Hong Duc University will join other provincial initiatives in sponsoring 100 students to study at undergraduate and postgraduate level overseas.

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Vietnamese student scholarships have been made available for the academic year 2008 by the Belgian government and by the Japanese International Co-operation Centre, and for the academic year 2009 by Australian Development Scholarships. In addition, the availability of fellowships for 2009 was announced by the Vietnam Education Foundation. A report released by the Asian Development Bank – Japan Scholarship Programme shows that Vietnamese students topped the list of scholarships that they awarded from 1988 from 2005.

The number of student visas issued by the Australian and United States embassies has continued to rise this year.  Australia sees a high number of Vietnamese students choosing to pursue higher education there. Malaysia and Singapore recently organised exhibitions to promote the educational opportunities which are on offer in those countries.

A new foundation has been set up to facilitate collaborative partnerships between Vietnam and Korea in higher education. The Viet-Korea Foundation will additionally promote business opportunities and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

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UPCOMING

Our biggest upcoming event is undoubtedly the Education UK exhibition in October, in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. As well as the exhibition itself, there will be a meeting of the Vietnam Partnership, and opportunities to meet representatives from educational institutions. For a full calendar of events, please visit our Vietnam Country Partners website, and for full details of other British Council events, please visit our What’s On website.

We are continuing to build relationships with schools and universities. To mark the start of the new academic year we are visiting and donating books to twenty-three UK Corner schools.

Please note that from 28 November to 17 December we will be installing a new finance and business system, so will be offering a limited range of our usual services.

Finally, take a look at our new-look Education UK – Vietnam website. It has an updated look and plenty of added features, such as student visa guidance and details of scholarships.

RECENT

Students have been attending bi-monthly talks and information sessions on the theme of studying and living in the UK. Parents and students alike have demonstrated a high level of interest in the talks, which they are finding helpful in making choices.

Thanks to all of you who have completed the Vietnam Education UK Partnership Survey 2007. It’s not too late to take part!

The report of the June meeting in London with members of the Vietnam Partnership is now available to read.

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PMI 2 funding will shortly be announced for UK universities and colleges to work with their Vietnamese counterparts to further develop collaborative relationships. The October 20 – 25th exhibition will provide an opportunity to meet prospective partner institutions.

Meetings will also be arranged with those who manage government scholarship schemes, to get up-to-date news on those schemes. Finally, a UK study tour will take place in March 2008 for a delegation of managers of the scholarship schemes.

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We are now offering a new service: promoting your events using street banners. Recent feedback showed this to be one of the most effective forms of publicity for events.

Maintaining a current contact list for members is an effective way of ensuring that the right information is sent to the right people. You can now help us to do this through the newsletter.

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