The Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, Prof Nguyen Kim Son, during bilateral discussion with the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Prof A. Saj U. Mendis, stated that Vietnam would be much interested to closely cooperate and collaborate with universities in Sri Lanka, particularly in the sphere of exchange of students, scholars, researchers and faculty and Buddhist studies, amongst others.
Sri Lanka and Vietnam have entered into a MoU on Education Cooperation Agreement in 2018 for a period of four years. Minister Prof Son assured that the MoU on Education Cooperation, which ceased in 2022, would be extended, thus further strengthening, deepening and elevating the contents and substance of the aforementioned Agreement/MoU.
Minister Son added that the Government of Vietnam, similar to Sri Lanka, places great degree of importance on education since the contribution of an educated workforce in a country would be immense and immeasurable. Minister Prof Son has been a senior academic and professor including being the Dean at Vietnam National University for over three decades.
Ambassador Mendis stated that Sri Lanka has nearly twenty academic institutions and universities, recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and could establish affiliation and academic arrangements with select universities in Vietnam.
Minister Son also stated that Vietnam is much interested in the realm of Buddhist studies since both the countries have a large Buddhist populace.
Minister Son highlighted the fact that such exchanges of faculty and students between the two countries in select universities could create an intellectually synergistic and collaborative advancement, thus benefiting both the countries. Minister Son emphasized that Vietnam has extended a number of opportunities and scholarships to Sri Lankan students to study in Vietnam and added that with the passage of time, hope to witness greater fostering and nurturing of students as well as universities.
