Australia and Vietnam strengthen cooperation in agriculture and education and training
(Baonghean.vn) - These are the contents of the cooperation agreement signed by the two countries during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's visit to Australia from March 14-18.
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| Signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between ACIAR (Australia) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Vietnam) in Canberra. Photo: Binh Chau |
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation in the field of agricultural, forestry and fisheries research.
This MoU aims to further promote and support collaboration between research and development institutions, researchers and scientists from Vietnam, Australia and internationally based on existing frameworks. This MoU also aims to strengthen the capacity of Vietnamese researchers (especially female scientists), managers and key research institutes to support sustainable growth in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.
“Our partnership with Vietnam has been developing very well over the past 25 years, based on mutual respect and sharing of experiences and knowledge in the field of agriculture,” said Professor Andrew Campbell, Executive Director of ACIAR.
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| Signing Ceremony of Cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and Australia. Photo: Binh Chau |
“Vietnam is a very important partner of ACIAR. I have been really impressed to see Vietnam transform from a recipient country to a proactive partner, collaborating in the development and implementation of research projects with very specific and practical objectives. Many of these projects have direct funding from Vietnam, in addition to funding from Australia,” Professor Andrew Campbell shared.
ACIAR has been working with Vietnam since the early 1990s. To date, ACIAR has invested approximately AUD 100 million in more than 170 research projects in the fields of agriculture, agricultural economics, forestry and fisheries.
ACIAR stands for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. It is part of the Australian Government's Development Assistance Program, and contributes to the Aid Program's objectives of helping developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development. ACIAR funds collaborative agricultural research projects conducted by Australian and overseas research organizations. These projects aim to solve problems in the agricultural sector in developing countries. ACIAR began implementing the program in Vietnam in 1993, through 170 projects worth nearly 100 million Australian dollars (equivalent to about 1,700 billion VND).
In addition, during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit, Vietnam and Australia also signed agreements that open up new opportunities in education and skills training for Vietnam. Australia and Vietnam have just signed two agreements to strengthen the relationship between the two countries and create new opportunities in education and skills training.
Minister for Vocational Education and Skills Karen Andrews signed the Memoranda of Understanding with Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc of Vietnam.
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| Signing ceremony between the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Training of Australia. Photo: Binh Chau |
The agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding on vocational education and training and a Memorandum of Understanding on general education. Both Memorandums of Understanding will contribute to strengthening cooperation between Australia and Vietnam in these important areas.
Minister Andrews said Vietnam is an increasingly important partner for Australia in the field of international education. “Vietnam is the sixth largest source country for international students in Australia with 23,670 students studying in 2017 and Australia was the second most popular destination for Vietnamese university students in 2015, after the United States,” said Minister Andrews. “There is much potential for further cooperation through these two agreements as Vietnam looks to share Australian expertise, particularly in vocational education, to build systematic processes for high-quality skills training,” and “The Vietnamese Government’s commitment to upskilling its workforce to sustain recent economic growth opens up new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.”
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits ACIAR's booth in Canberra. Photo: Binh Chau |
“Like Australia, Vietnam is focusing on opportunities in high-value technical sectors, targeting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to support its transformation,” said Minister Andrews.
The new Memorandums of Understanding provide a foundation for international education cooperation between Australia and Vietnam.
“Vietnam’s priorities align with the strengths of Australia’s world-class education and training system and we look forward to working with Vietnam for the benefit of both countries,” Minister Andrews said.
The Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremonies took place in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's visit to Australia from March 14-18, 2018.
