The Viet Nam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education officially opened in the city on Thursday morning.  In attendance at the opening event were the Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, Mr Phung Tan Viet, the Deputy Minister for Education and Training, Mr Bui Van Ga, and the UK Ambassador to Viet Nam, Mr Giles Lever.

The establishment of the Institute, which is based at the University of Da Nang (UD), is the 1^st stage of the Viet Nam-UK International University project in the city.  The project is being jointly deployed by the UD and some of the UK’s tertiary institutions, following approval by the Vietnamese and British governments.  In the 2^nd stage of the project, the focus will be on upgrading the Institute into the Viet Nam-UK International University.

The launching of the Viet Nam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman Viet said he hoped that the Institute would act as a bridge in helping the UD to integrate into an international learning environment.  This will enable the university to give its students higher qualifications and a better proficiency in foreign languages.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Ga remarked that the opening of the Viet Nam-UK International University is in accordance with Viet Nam’s incentive strategies for establishing more outstanding universities in the future.  This is seen as one of the important ways to facilitate fundamental and comprehensive innovation in Viet Nam’s higher education sector.

Also at the event, the UD honoured 6 individuals and groups for their remarkable assistance in the project.  Also, the Tate and Lyle Plc, a UK-based multi-national agribusiness firm, pledged to grant scholarships worth 210,000 USD in total to local poor students so that they can attend academic courses at the Viet Nam-UK International University once it is operational.