Australia will extend support in developing human resources for Vietnam in a program worth AUD50.1 million (US$37.5 million) for 2021-2025.

Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador and Assoc Prof Nguyen Van Phuc, MOET Vice Minister sign on the Subsidiary Arrangement for Aus4Skills Phase 2 (2021-2025). Photos: Embassy of Australia in Hanoi

The assistance will focus on the second Phase of the Vietnam Australia Human Resource Development program (Aus4Skills) that was launched today [Oct 22] by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

Accordingly, the Australian Government will offer Australia Awards Scholarships for Vietnamese citizens to undertake fully funded studies at Australian universities, deliver Australian alumni professional development activities, and implement higher education capacity building activities with university leaders.

“Viet Nam and Australia continue to be strategic partners in education and training, which is essential to our human resource development and economic goals. We are thankful for Australia’s continued support for Vietnam’s education priorities and sustainable socio-economic growth,” said Prof. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Minister of MOET.

“Australia’s Aus4Skills program remains highly relevant to supporting Vietnam’s future human resource development priorities, especially as it navigates the challenges presented by Covid-19. Over the decades, education has created many enduring partnerships between Vietnamese and Australian people and organizations,” said Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam.

The partnerships have contributed to Vietnam’s continued socio-economic development across a wide range of priority sectors, such as governance and economic growth, infrastructure and transport, water and sanitation, education, gender equality, and agriculture and rural development, the ambassador noted.

Commenced in February 2016, Aus4Skills is a five-year program providing support to Vietnam to achieve the shared goal that Vietnam can access and use high level professional and technical knowledge, skills, and competencies to contribute to the country’s sustainable economic and social development, and enduring links with Australia.

Between 2016 and 2021, the Aus4Skills program has benefitted more than 105,000 Vietnamese students who got improved teaching, curriculum and management.

The program has also offered 240 Australia Awards Scholarships for Vietnamese citizens to study at Australian universities; delivered over $1m in grants for 95 Australian alumni-led development projects in Vietnam; and run 162 professional development events attended by over 7,500 Australian alumni in Vietnam.

Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador and Assoc Prof Nguyen Van Phuc, MOET Vice Minister launch Aus4Skills Phase 2.

Education in the bilateral relations

Education remains a prominent area in the Vietnam-Australia Strategic Partnership.

Since 1994, the Australian Education International (AEI) has represented the Commonwealth Department of Education in Vietnam with responsibility for strengthening government-to-government engagement with counterparts in education, training, and research.

It’s also tasked with supporting and influencing education reform and policy development in Vietnam, whilst showcasing the Australian education system; facilitating partnerships, collaboration and linkages, staff and student exchange, and cooperation in research; and increasing student and academic mobility from Australia into Vietnam.

Australia collaborates on many education and training initiatives with Vietnam, including in quality assurance, qualification recognition, and vocational education; facilitating institution-to-institution partnerships; and supporting vibrant Australian alumni associations.

Australia is a leading education destination for Vietnamese students, with more than 26,000 Vietnamese students in Australia in 2019. Vietnam is Australia’s fifth largest source of foreign students, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The need for training in areas such as English language, business and management, and information technology in Vietnam remains high, especially in the major urban centers, fueling the education cooperation with Australia.

Education remains a prominent area in the Vietnam-Australia Strategic Partnership.