With advantages in policies, training scale, human resource quality, domestic and international enrollment space, Da Nang shows off a lot of potential for education and training development, making the city a destination for educational events. This is consistent with the orientation of the project to improve the quality of higher education in the period 2019-2025 (Decision 69/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister) and Conclusion No. 79-KL/TW of the Politburo on continuing to implement Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW of the Politburo (term XII) on building and developing Da Nang by 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

The leaders of the Da Nang University of Science and Technology award doctoral degrees to postgraduates of the 2023 - 2024 academic year. Photo: NGOC HA

Destination for training cooperation, educational events

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Le Quang Son, Vice President of the University of Da Nang (UD), said that the project to improve the quality of higher education in the 2019 - 2025 period identifies internationalization of higher education as a key task, attracting international students is an important solution. Improving the quality of training, including training international students, is one of the goals and strategies of UD as well as its member universities.

Units and schools are promoting the development of international training programs, creating a highly internationalised environment to meet the needs of integration and training international students. Every year, nearly 1,000 foreign students, mainly students from Southeast Asian countries, Asia, Australia, England, Belgium, France, the United States, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany come to study at UD.

In addition, Da Nang has connected with many cities in many countries around the world.
Many universities in Da Nang have cooperative relationships and networks with many prestigious universities in the world. UD alone has 253 international partners in the field of training.

In 2024, UD officially becomes the first non-continental member of the European University Alliance (ULYSSEUS) and is currently a core member of many prestigious international organisations (AUF, ASEA-UNINET, AUN, SEAMEO).

According to the content of the agreement between UD and ULYSSEUS Alliance, the purpose of cooperation is to promote the development of education, science and academic exchange issues; cooperation in international projects; international training links.

UD’s member territory establishments also regularly organise international conferences such as the annual International Conference on Accounting and Finance (ICOAF) since 2015; International Conference on Management and Business (COMB) annually since 2013 (the University of Economics); International Conference on Water Resources and Coastal Engineering (the University of Science and Technology); International Conference on Knowledge and Systems Engineering (the University of Education); Conference on Application of Information Technology in Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages (the University of Foreign Languages); International Conference on “Application of New Technology in Green Buildings” (the University of Technology and Education); International Conference on Semiconductor Microchips and 5G, 6G (Viet Nam - Korea University of Information and Communications Technology).

With partners being prestigious universities and enterprises around the world, UD has become a destination for scientists, experts, ambassadors, diplomatic delegations, and enterprises through hosting and organising many major international events and conferences. This has a positive meaning in accompanying the city in making Da Nang the centre of regional and international events and festivals according to Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW.

Foreign students join an exchange programme at the University of Economics, the University of Da Nang. Photo: NGOC HA

Exploiting educational potential, contributing to growth

As of October 2024, Da Nang has 32 training institutions from college, university and postgraduate levels, of which the core is UD. With 7 member universities, the Viet Nam - UK Research and Executive Education, with functions, training capacity, international cooperation in multi-disciplinary, multi-professional, multi-field training, can adapt and anticipate the development trend of world education such as financial technology (Fintech) of the University of Economics; semiconductor chip design of the Viet Nam - Korea University of Information and Communications Technology, the University of Science and Technology.

Many training units have a long history of building brands, providing high-quality human resources for society with nearly 50 years of operation (the University of Science and Technology, the University of Economics). The UD has 30 years of development with the responsibility of being a regional university, training in many fields, a team of highly qualified scientists with more than 1,000 PhDs, associate professors and professors.

The average income per capita of Da Nang and localities in the Central Viet Nam- Central Highlands region is being enhanced, and the ability to invest in education of the people is also increasing. The total population of the North Central and Central Coast regions (enrollment area) as announced by the General Statistics Office by the end of 2023 was 20.807 million people with an average growth rate over the past 10 years of 2.1%, reaching more than 330 thousand people, with more than 1.24 thousand recorded in Da Nang alone in 2023. In addition, Da Nang with the brand name of ‘a livable city’ attracts people from all regions in and outside the country to live, contributing to expanding the enrollment source.

According to the 2023 Da Nang annual report by by Assoc. Prof., Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the University of Economics Council and research colleagues, if based on 14 criteria including growth in added value (VA); VA structure; the contribution of the industry to GRDP growth; investment structure; investment growth; investment efficiency; growth in investment efficiency; labour structure; labor growth; labour productivity and labour productivity growth, the education and training sector is ranked 7th out of 20 Level 1 sectors in Da Nang.

“Da Nang has been in the process of implementing Resolution No. 43 NQ/TW, in which education and training is one of the investment and development targets, aiming to contribute to making Da Nang the core of the urban chain and growth pole of the key economic region of the Central Viet Nam - Central Highlands regions. This shows that the education and training sector has advantages in terms of policies and guidelines of the Party and State.

Moreover, the scale and history of universities are an advantage of Da Nang compared to other localities in the region. The policy of attracting investment, international cooperation as well as the room for domestic and international enrollment is creating a lot of potential for Da Nang to develop education and training”, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Vo Thi Thuy Anh said.

Reporting by NGOC HA, PHAM QUANG TIN - Translating by A.THU