Global Education Dialogues open in HCM City

The global dialogue was co-organised by the British Council, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training and the UK Higher Education International Unit. Case studies presented by higher education leaders highlighted the diversity of university / industry partnership models.

Professor Bui Van Ga, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education and Training said ‘The event is one of the activities in the implementation of the Joint Statement on Higher Education Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, British Council in Vietnam and the UK Higher Education International Unit signed in London in September 2015.

“With the aim of promoting cooperation between universities and industry, our forum facilitates dialogue between government organisations, universities and industry on the role, responsibility and expectations of higher education institutions in creating innovative industry solutions and an employable workforce.”

One case study in the dialogue identified seven central pillars from which the university built a local innovation eco-system. These included culture, people, government, market demand, innovations, funding and infrastructure. Uniquely, the institution (Keele University) put a special focus on knowledge-creation in partnership.

The mechanism that drove innovation within the university was also shared. It involved four sets of activities engaging both staff and students. These were public space and people-based activities (external visits, attending conferences, curriculum development), community-based activities (public lectures, community sports, exhibitions), commercial activities (licensed research, patenting, spin-off companies), problem-solving activities (the creation of physical facilities, join publications, prototyping and testing).

In addition, amongst the university’s priorities, the most important was a single point for business to be able to access innovation support - underlining the inseparable role of innovation in any university / industry partnership.

Cherry Gough, Director, British Council in Vietnam said ‘The British Council in Vietnam is delighted to have worked closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, and the UK Higher Education International Unit to bring UK higher education leaders to the event. We look forward to their reflections on the role of higher education in defining development trends, addressing development needs and producing graduates who contribute to national competitiveness.

‘I hope that the practical experience and case studies presented by speakers from the UK, Vietnam and other ASEAN countries will contribute to Vietnam’s higher education reform agenda, with its focus on internationalisation, quality and accreditation.’

Vivienne Stern, Director, UK HE International Unit added ‘Universities across the world are facing the challenge of how to prepare graduates for highly competitive globalised job markets. To meet this challenge institutions are adapting curricula, working directly with industry to provide professional experience and exploring new models of research as well as the creation of dedicated facilities allowing students and academic staff to explore the commercial potential of their work.’