Vietnam, Ireland boost education, sci-tech cooperation

Deputy Ambassador To Minh Thu lauded the results of recent cooperation agreements sealed between the countries in the field of higher education, especially university and postgraduate scholarships provided by Ireland to Vietnamese students. Currently, there are about 150 Vietnamese students studying in Ireland.

Thu proposed both sides continue to collaborate in research and student exchange; further promote the implementation of Vietnam's Project 89 to Irish universities, and promote Ireland as a destination for Vietnamese researchers.

Additionally, she suggested seeking new scholarship programmes to replace the Irish Development Experience and Sharing (IDEAS) programme, which ended in 2021.

The diplomat proposed the DFHERIS engage in sci-tech exchanges between Ireland and Vietnam to step up the bilateral collaboration in specific areas of mutual priority.

Ian McKenna, head of the DFHERIS’s international cooperation division, highly evaluated the two countries’ cooperation in recent times and stated that educational collaboration is one of the prominent areas in their bilateral relationship. Currently, Ireland is reviewing and evaluating the results of its education cooperation policy with Vietnam and is seeking potential partners for the issuance of its new cooperation policies expected to be released later this year, with Vietnam being a targeted partner.

Taking into account the proposals from the Vietnamese side, McKenna expressed his wish to gain more information about Vietnam's science, technology, and innovation development strategy until 2030, as well as the country's priority areas and strengths, which would serve as a basis for future cooperation.

Vietnam and Ireland signed memoranda of understanding on education cooperation in 2011 and 2016. Ireland has provided approximately 185 scholarships to Vietnam through the IDEAS1 and IDEAS2 programmes. The two sides also established an expert group on education cooperation in September 2017.