Many Australian universities are sounding out cooperation opportunities in Vietnam, heard a conference on the Vietnam – Australia Higher Education Partnerships 2023 held by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

The conference was attended by some 55 Australian and Vietnamese universities, and local workforce training associations.

Regina Milanes from the Central Queensland University in Australia told the conference that the university saw Vietnam as a potential market.

The university is seeking partners in Vietnam to implement new educational programs, she noted.

Similarly, Suhail Seth, director of business development at the Australian Academy of Business and Technology, said that the academy was carefully finding partners in Vietnam.

University partners should meet requirements on teaching quality, equipment and students’ competence.

Speaking of cooperation opportunities, Hugo Nguyen, a Vietnamese representative of the University of Technology in Sydney, said that Australian universities might tap various fields, including technology transfer, in Vietnam.

Apart from the collaboration with educational institutions, they can partner with Vietnamese agencies and firms, Nguyen added.

Australia’s senior trade and investment commissioner Rebecca Ball delivers a speech at the conference on the Vietnam – Australia Higher Education Partnerships 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City on May 18, 2023. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Discussing students’ skills after their university graduation, Le Thi Kim Anh, vice president of the Vietnam Human Resources Association (VNHR), said that many enterprises have been connecting with universities through multiple experience-sharing and career placement programs to select the best candidates.

However, the efficiency was not higher than expected.

“Some companies said that they accessed 800 students, but recruited a mere eight among them,” said Kim Anh.

VNHR is following a new solution to boost the effectiveness in recruitment by partnering with multiple universities.

The association will pick 30 best students majoring in human resources. These students will attend some training sessions led by human resources experts.

Its member enterprises can find the most suitable candidates on the shortlist of 10, she explained.

Representatives of Australian and Vietnamese universities have a discussion at the Vietnam – Australia Higher Education Partnerships 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City on May 18, 2023. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Few students visit schools’ career orientation rooms

Eliza Chui, a representative of Austrade, said that students rarely visit their schools’ career orientation rooms, which act as a place allowing students to consult career experts to plan their future career before their university period.

However, Chui cited some surveys as saying that most students did not know the existence of the room.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!