Prof. Tran Ngoc Hai, Vice Rector of Can Tho University, said that as a key scientific research centre of the Mekong Delta region that supplies about 70 percent of the high-quality workforce to the region, the university has focused on training, researching and technology transferring to serve the sustainable socio-economic development in the region.
Through international research cooperation programmes, the university has sent many researchers to developed countries for studying, including Australia, he said.
He noted that Can Tho has sent 116 candidates in the Mekong 1,000 Project to 23 Australian education facilities. They are expected to help foster the cooperation between Australia and Mekong Delta provinces and cities, he said. He added that Can Tho has also sent five students to Australia under the exchange programme, along with 126 officials and lecturers to post-graduate courses in Australia.
Since 2015, 14 connection projects between Australia and the Mekong Delta region have been implemented at total cost of over 1.5 million AUD. Meanwhile, more than 20 academies and organisations of Australia have signed memoranda of understanding with their peers in the Mekong Delta region on cooperation in academic exchange or scientific research, the majority of which are in the agriculture, fisheries, environment and technology sectors.
At the working session, Chestnutt showed his delight that cooperation and support from Australia in education in the Mekong Delta region have been fruitful. He pledged to work hard to serve as a bridge for Australian institutes and training facilities to get closer to their peers in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, thus reaching more cooperation deals and contributing to enhancing the training quality in the region and fostering the already sound partnership between Vietnam and Australia.
