Deputy Ambassador To Minh Thu lauded the results of recent cooperationagreements sealed between the countries in the field of higher education, especially university and postgraduate scholarships provided by Ireland to Vietnamesestudents. Currently, there are about 150 Vietnamese students studying inIreland.
Thu proposed both sides continue to collaborate inresearch and student exchange; further promote the implementation of Vietnam'sProject 89 to Irish universities, and promote Ireland as a destination forVietnamese researchers.
Additionally, she suggested seeking new scholarshipprogrammes to replace the Irish Development Experience and Sharing (IDEAS)programme, which ended in 2021.
The diplomat proposed the DFHERIS engage in sci-tech exchangesbetween Ireland and Vietnam to step up the bilateral collaboration in specificareas of mutual priority.
Ian McKenna, head of the DFHERIS’s international cooperationdivision, highly evaluated the two countries’ cooperation in recent times andstated that educational collaboration is one of the prominent areas in theirbilateral relationship. Currently, Ireland is reviewing and evaluating theresults of its education cooperation policy with Vietnam and is seekingpotential partners for the issuance of its new cooperation policies expected tobe released later this year, with Vietnam being a targeted partner.
Taking into account the proposals from the Vietnamese side, McKennaexpressed his wish to gain more information about Vietnam's science, technology,and innovation development strategy until 2030, as well as the country's priorityareas and strengths, which would serve as a basis for future cooperation.
Vietnam and Ireland signed memoranda of understanding oneducation cooperation in 2011 and 2016. Ireland has provided approximately 185scholarships to Vietnam through the IDEAS1 and IDEAS2 programmes. The two sidesalso established an expert group on education cooperation in September 2017./.