“Engaging with Vietnam” Conference deepens institutional research links between Australia and Vietnam

The Australian Embassy in Hanoi welcomed the successful conclusion of the 2nd “Engaging with Vietnam: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue” Conference held in Hanoi on 30 November and 1 December 2010. The conference was hosted by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Hanoi and co-organised with Monash University Australia.

The conference is the creation of Dr Phan Le Ha, Senior Lecturer, Monash University, Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh, Dean of the Faculty of International Studies, Vietnam National University-Hanoi and Professor Stephanie Fahey, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement), Monash University. The first “Engaging with Vietnam” conference was held at Monash University in Australia from 23-24 February 2010.

Opening the conference, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam H.E. Mr Allaster Cox congratulated the organisers for their energy and enthusiasm in bringing the conference together.

Ambassador Cox said, “We hope the conference will contribute to an intensification of this kind of cross-national professional dialogue between Vietnamese and Australian and other international researchers in coming years.

“We look to support Australia-Vietnam research linkages such as this conference through Australia’s significant scholarship program for Vietnam. In 2010 more than 300 long term and short term scholarships have been awarded to Vietnamese scholars and others. It is very pleasing to see a number of scholarship alumni, including Associate Professor Pham Thanh Nghi, Associate Professor Phan Van Que, Dr Nguyen Dang Suu and Dr Tran Hoang Nhi presenting here.”

A highlight of the conference was the launch of a new publication Reforming Higher Education in Vietnam, edited by Grant Harman, Martin Hayden and Pham Thanh Nghi. The book addresses challenges in improving Vietnam’s higher education sector, including financial affordability of proposed reforms, adapting teaching and curriculum development, fostering research culture, and ensuring quality accreditation.

The conference featured 46 presentations from Vietnamese and international speakers, including keynote speeches by former Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Mr Vu Khoan, Professor Jonathan Rigg (Durham), Dr Le Dang Doanh, Professor Ilana Snyder (Monash), Professor Phan Trong Thuong (Vietnam Institute of Literature), Professor Anthony Welch (University of Sydney) and Professor Adam Fforde (Victoria).