On March 9, DTU held the Opening Ceremony of the UK-ASEAN DAY. Attendees included Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang; Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, Director of Da Nang's Department of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Mark Anderson, Research & Innovation Office Director, Glasgow Caledonian University; Ms. Donna McGowan, Country Director, British Council Vietnam; Labor Hero, Distinguished Teacher Le Cong Co, DTU Chairman; the DTU Board of Provosts; DTU lecturers and staff and representatives from several local authorities and businesses.
Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang City
In his opening speech for the program, Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Da Nang city, stated: "Da Nang plays the role of the central and largest city in the Central region, serving as an important nucleus of the key economic zone in Central Viet Nam. It will be a center for startups, innovation, tourism, commerce, finance, logistics, high-tech industries, information technology, and one of the cultural-sport, high-quality education and training, health care, and science-technology development centers in the country. The city commits to offering full support to create a favorable environment for the development of creative projects, bringing many benefits to society. Particularly, by focusing on the university environment for knowledge exchange, academic learning, and cultural understanding among students, the city facilitates a supportive environment for students to form and realize startup ideas and projects while still in school, enhancing the commercialization of products by students."
Attendees shared and discussed through two projects: the COIL4PURPOSE project and the SILKEN Vietnam project
- The UK-ASEAN DAY program is one of the meaningful activities organized to strengthen the close relationship between the UK and the ASEAN member countries. This strong relationship has been contributing to promoting cooperation in various fields, with the hope of bringing about many positive innovations in education, research, and enhancing the understanding of culture between countries. This spirit of cooperation is of interest to the members attending the UK-ASEAN DAY program, who share and discuss through two projects: the COIL4PURPOSE project and the SILKEN Vietnam project.
- COIL4PURPOSE is a collaborative project aimed at ensuring equitable access to international learning opportunities by establishing a Collaborative Online International Learning program for students unable to engage in extensive international research. This will be achieved through cooperation with Southeast Asian countries based on three themes: Healthy Living, Sustainable Development, and Social Equity, in partnership with partner institutions in Southeast Asia and the Scottish Social Enterprise Academy, led by Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland.
- SILKEN Vietnam (Social Innovation Linkages for Knowledge Exchange Networks – Vietnam) is sponsored by the British Council in Vietnam, in partnership with two UK universities, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Northampton, and six Vietnamese universities: DTU; the National Economics University; the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry; the Hue University of Agriculture & Forestry; the University of Social Sciences & Humanities; and the University of Languages & International Studies (ULIS), at Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi. The project aims to create and operate innovative social support centers at universities, with the objective of developing curricula, research, academic exchanges, internationalization, and incubation, and establish a global network to address the problems that afflict society today.
Attendees pose for a photo
Ms Donna McGowan, Country Director, British Council Vietnam, shared: “Through various programs and services, the British Council supports the development of Vietnam's human resources across many fields, building partnerships and long-term connections that contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of Vietnam. The British Council has focused on the important partnerships between the UK and Vietnam for many years, contributing to creating a favorable environment for innovation, creativity, and sustainable development.
At the same time, the Government has also issued a decision to support student entrepreneurship until 2025, aiming to provide students with the knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship from their school days. This creates a favorable environment for students to implement their ideas, contributing to improving their employability after graduation. All contribute to the development of a high-quality workforce, laying the foundation for the government's plans, especially the ambition to make Vietnam a high-income country by 2045.”
Dr. Le Nguyen Tue Hang, DTU Vice-Provost, said: “Both COIL4PURPOSE and SILKEN VIETNAM projects bring many practical benefits to ASEAN faculty and students. From my own experience, I believe that, to some extent, these two projects have contributed to enhancing the cooperative relationship in the field of education between UK universities and universities in the Southeast Asia region. Let us further strengthen our cooperation to create more meaningful programs for our students. Thank you for the continuous support of the British Council and the Scottish Government. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the Vice Chairman of Da Nang City, Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, for his full support in the city's educational projects.
(Media Center)