The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City held the Taiwan Vietnam Directors of International Office Conference on November 24 to promote Taiwan’s education, and the government’s New Southbound Policy, and to facilitate cooperation between universities in Taiwan and those in Vietnam.

Twenty-eight presidents, deans, and vice deans from universities in Vietnam and representatives from nine universities in Taiwan were invited to attend the conference, and 75 people attended. The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office invited Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, Vice Rector of the National College of Education in Ho Chi Minh City; Mr. Bui Duc Anh, Director of the International Office at Thu Dau Mot University; and Mr. Duong Thanh Truyen, Chairman of the Member Council of Tre Publishing House to talk about their Taiwan experience through Vietnamese eyes. All in all, they spoke highly of Taiwan’s education and society; moreover, they encouraged universities in Vietnam to work closely with universities in Taiwan.
Ms. Ou Chi-Hsi, Education Attaché at the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City gave a presentation about Taiwan’s teacher training policies, the New Southbound Policy, and suggestions for cooperation in the future. She also talked about the difficulties that universities in Taiwan are facing when promoting cooperation with universities in Vietnam and sought advice from the participants from universities in Vietnam.
After her presentation, the floor was opened up to the participants from universities in Taiwan and in Vietnam to further discuss future cooperation. The universities in Vietnam proposed organizing twinning system to assist in the training of Vietnamese language teachers. They also would like to be involved in international cooperation and exchanges regarding preschool teachers. Moreover, universities in Vietnam would also like to be involved in more student exchange programs. The representatives from the universities in Taiwan discussed their scholarship programs, and international programs, and expressed their willingness to cooperate in teacher training.
The conference was a great success. Since the conference, representatives from many of the universities of education in Vietnam have come to the Education Division to talk about wanting to work with Taiwan and discuss possibilities for setting up a twinning system with one or more universities in Taiwan.

Photo:Taiwan Vietnam International Office Directors Conference participants.