Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a VND2.070 trillion (US$96 million) plan to train officials and young talents abroad in the next seven years.

Under the plan, Vietnam aims to provide Master’s degrees to college lecturers at higher education institutions, employees of research centers, and those working for government ministries and other state agencies.

The country will also send young people with special talents for science and other specializations to undergraduate programs in foreign countries.

It has set a target that 1,650 such people will graduate with a Master’s and 150 others with a university degree between 2013 and 2020.

Priority will be given to universities in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia.

The plan notes that these people will be enrolled in “high-quality programs” overseas.