Canadian universities deepen ties with Vietnam

University leaders conclude successful virtual mission

OTTAWA – As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic Universities Canada and its members recognize the need and importance to re-engage with key international partners.

This past week Universities Canada welcomed leaders from 22 Canadian universities and 13 Vietnamese universities, as well as Sara Wilshaw, Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner, for a three-day digital mission.

The digital mission provided an opportunity to build and deepen relationships with key stakeholders in Vietnam, a country that is a focus of both Universities Canada and the federal government’s International Education Strategy and of Canada’s broader trade objectives.

The three-day mission combined informative and interactive sessions to facilitate knowledge-sharing to establish a collaborative environment for long-term partnerships.

In addition to university presidents, senior officials from the Canadian and Vietnamese government were in attendance to provide participants with insights into the state of Vietnamese and Canadian markets and help advance emerging opportunities.

Highlights included two round table discussions exploring research and engagement opportunities with other actors in Vietnam, as well as business-to-business meetings.

This mission is part of a series of initiatives between the two countries that aim to strengthen our partnership. Other examples include:

• Vietnam’s National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (NATEC) also supported our initiatives as part of their TECHFEST, an annual series of events focused on supporting the development of the startup ecosystem in Vietnam with the active role of universities, research institutes and industries. Universities Canada will be actively supporting TECHFEST as part of our deepening partnership with Vietnam.
• The Global Skills Opportunity program, a national outbound student mobility program for Canadian college and undergraduate-level university students from across the country to acquire global skills, is an initiative that will allow us to build on our relationship with Vietnam as nine participating Canadian universities will be launching projects with Vietnam as a destination.
• This March Universities Canada will participate in the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) in Vancouver.

Quotes:

“As the world emerges from the pandemic, Universities Canada and its members understand the importance of developing long-lasting relationships with international partners. This mission was an opportunity for unparalleled networking opportunities, while developing and strengthening connections with our counterparts in Vietnam.”

– Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada

“Education is a top priority for both Canada and Vietnam. As outlined in our government’s International Education Strategy, education is not only a key driver for innovation and for the future prosperity of our countries, but it is a fantastic way to build even more global bridges. Academia is key to this work as demonstrated by Universities Canada’s critical leadership in launching this trade mission which will not only help our nation’s best and brightest collaborate on new ideas, but pave the way for a more united global recovery.”

– Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business, and Economic Development

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