Vietnamese universities are ready for digital transformation to grasp opportunities that the partnership with their UK peers generates with a view to ensuring quality and internationalization, the idea was shared at a workshop held by the British Council Vietnam on September 8.

Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, director general of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and Training, said at the event, which is part of the Going Global Partnerships (GGP) in Vietnam to provide funding opportunities for partnership projects and address the gaps identified in the scoping research report.

Thu Thuy added that future partnerships between the UK and Vietnam universities as a result of this report would help Vietnamese higher education institutions to identify their existing gaps and develop a comprehensive roadmap to digital transformation.

Students are studying at National Economics University in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the university

“This will contribute to making the strategy of the Government and the ministry in terms of digital transformation a reality, providing values to students and guaranteeing innovation in higher education,” she stressed.

The impact of Covid-19 has accelerated the need for digital transformation in higher education globally. Vietnam is no exception to this process. Through policies and guidance, the Vietnamese government has acted quickly to support higher education institutions in their digitalization. Vietnamese universities have also responded promptly to accommodate the needs of the universities, their lecturers and students, though with many challenges.

In 2021, the British Council commissioned The Open University (UK), in partnership with Hanoi University of Science and Technology, to conduct the scoping study “Readiness of digital transformation in higher education in Vietnam and partnership opportunities.”

The research provides an overview of the digital transformation context of both countries, addresses the gaps in the digital transformation process and helps identify tangible areas for partnership between the UK and Vietnamese universities in pursuit of the digital transformation agenda.

Some highlighting recommendations from the report are infrastructure investment for platform and resources, guidance and framework with evaluation tools for digital transformation, capacity building for universities from leaders and managers to teaching staff, operational staff and students, increased collaboration with other universities and businesses.

“We are happy to enable partnership between UK and Vietnamese universities in this area, where UK knowledge and expertise are being shared to support Vietnam’s higher education sector. This has identified the gaps that Vietnamese universities need to address in order to digitalize successfully, which will bring new learning experiences for students and open new ground for research collaboration,” said Donna McGowan, Director of the British Council in Vietnam.

“This is part of our commitment to support Vietnam higher education development through sharing UK higher education knowledge and expertise, and part of the Memorandum of Collaboration signed between British Council and Ministry of Education and Training in October in 2021,” she emphasized.