The UK and Da Nang have many opportunities to develop and strengthen their ties and cooperation, plus promote digital transformation.

British Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City cum Trade Director for Viet Nam Emily Hamblin

The statement was made by British Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City cum Trade Director for Viet Nam Emily Hamblin during her meeting with our reporter Khang Ninh.

Ms. Hamblin expressed her great impressions on Da Nang’s rapid and dynamic growth, and its sustainable development goals during her first-time visit to the city.

The Bristish diplomat said that the trade relationship between Da Nang and the UK has seen positive results over recent years. Da Nang export value to the UK annually reaches over US$ 30 million, and the city has till date received more than 20 British-invested projects totalling US$ 100 million.

She expressed her belief that the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), which officially took effect from 1 January, will bring many practical benefits to businesses of the two countries.

In particular, under the UKVFTA, the UK will abolish import taxes on over 99% of tariff lines relating to Viet Nam’s imports from the UK within the first six years. 

“The landmark agreement is viewed as an important tool for British businesses to seize cooperation opportunities with their Da Nang partners, hereby strengthening bilateral trade cooperation in the coming time” the UK visitor remarked.

The British guest noted that Da Nang boasts great potential for unlocking the opportunities of the digital economy and boosting digital transformation. Included are improved infrastructure, a relatively low cost of living, and high density of IT companies and IT training establishments. Also, Da Nang is now home to many IT and digital companies at national, regional and global scales.

Additionally, Da Nang has topped Viet Nam’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) applications and development readiness rankings for many consecutive years.

Meanwhile, the UK has strong strengths in technology, creative innovation and digital economy, so this country is seen as a competent partner to help Da Nang accelerate the transition to the digital economy.

Da Nang is now home to many tech companies, which is considered to be an important factor in promoting digital transformation. In picture: Employees from the Son Tra District-based Enouvo Information Technology Development Co., Ltd

The British diplomat highlighted the important role of human resource in digital transformation, vowing that the UK is willing to help Da Nang develop its human resource for digital transformation.

In particular, many educational cooperation models between the UK and Da Nang have been deployed in the city.

Specifically, the UK government grants Chevening scholarships for outstanding Vietnamese citizens. Chevening is the UK Government’s global scholarship programme that offers future leaders the unique opportunity to study in the UK. These scholarships are awarded to outstanding professionals from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any UK universities.

Most recently, the British Council has launched a new scholarship programme aimed at benefiting Vietnamese women who come to the UK to study about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

In addition, the Da Nang-based Viet Nam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK) under the University of Da Nang has cooperated with some British-based educational institutions to develop joint academic programmes.

Recently, VNUK has partered with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to provide training courses on accounting and auditing skills for Da Nang students.

“With the role of being accelerating the transition to the digital economy, I will do my utmost to accelerate the transition to the digital economy in Da Nang in the time to come” Ms. Hamblin pledged.

By KHANG NINH - Translated by M.D