Groundbreaking for the construction of a new Vietnamese-German University (VGU) campus took place on Thursday morning in southern Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province.

With a total cost of US$139.54 million, the two-phase 135,000 square meter campus is expected to accommodate up to 12,000 students upon its completion, according to VGU.

The new campus is being constructed on a 50.5-hectare area of land in Thoi Hoa Ward, Ben Cat District in Binh Duong Province with modern architecture adapted to fit Vietnam’s conditions, VGU Vice President Dr. Ha Thuc Vien said.

The campus will include an academic area, a library, a dormitory, a professors’ residence, an administrative area, and other facilities, the vice president said.

The project is being funded with concessionary credits from the International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank body that provides assistance to less developed countries.

Founded in 2008 at its current main campus in Binh Duong New City, VGU is the first university to be established as part of the New Model University Project (NMUP), an initiative aimed at establishing four new universities in Vietnam, each supported by a partner country and following the university model of that country.

NMUP is part of Vietnam’s reform programs in the education sector, or Higher Education Reform Agenda (HERA).

VGU offers study programs and research activities in engineering areas and natural sciences, and is currently training over 1,000 students in 11 different undergraduate and graduate programs, Dr. Ha Thuc Vien said.