India-Vietnam Education Conference 2019

Attending the workshop were Mr. Parvathaneni Harish (Ambassador of India to Vietnam); Mr. Rajiv Bodwade (First Secretary of the Embassy of India to Vietnam); Mr. Ha Minh Hue (former National Assembly Delegate, Vice President of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association), Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

India is one of the countries with advanced higher education with a network of more than 800 universities. Indian higher education institutions offer a wide range of courses, with high quality and competitiveness at a cost of only 1/4 of other countries. Along with that is a non-discriminatory learning environment, professionally trained lecturers, fluent in English, internationally accredited training programs, and flexible transfer policies. Every year, India welcomes thousands of Vietnamese students looking for courses at universities, especially in the fields of management and information technology. Following the success of the India Study Abroad Conference in March 2018, the India-Vietnam Education Conference 2019 was organized with the aim of creating opportunities for exchanges with leading educational institutions and providing information about the Indian education system. Thereby aiming to strengthen educational cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at the conference, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Parvathaneni Harish emphasized the importance of education to the socio-economic development of a country. For countries with young populations like Vietnam and India (with more than 2/3 of the population under 35 years old), the need to promote education becomes even more urgent. Education is like a passport to help young people enter their future careers. India has clearly recognized this through the innovation of its education system over the past two decades, becoming a leading center in Asia.

Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish speaking at the workshop

For Vietnam-India relations, educational cooperation is also of great significance to bilateral relations. This was highlighted by leaders of the two countries during high-level visits, such as the visit of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to Vietnam last November. Every year, through various programs such as the Technical and Economic Cooperation Program (ITEC), the Cultural Scholarship Program (GCSS), and the Educational Exchange Program (EEP), the Indian government offers hundreds of scholarships to Vietnamese students. Vietnamese students studying in India have returned to make practical contributions to their home country. In that spirit, Mr. Parvathaneni Harish hopes that through the 2019 India-Vietnam Education Conference, Vietnamese students will not only seek scholarship opportunities but also actively interact and connect with representatives of Indian universities.

On behalf of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh highly appreciated the development of Vietnam-India educational cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972. In this process, the University, specifically the Department of Indian Studies (Faculty of Oriental Studies), has also contributed through its cooperation with the Embassy of India in Vietnam. The Department was established in 2004, has trained more than 200 bachelors and guided 18 graduate students to write theses and dissertations on India. The Department has sent 107 students to study in India and received 30 Indian students and graduate students for exchanges every year. In addition, the Department and the Embassy of India organize talks with Indian writers and scholars, music and art performances, seminars and film screenings.

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh speaks at the conference

Regarding research, the Department has many international topics and projects with Indian institutions such as the Joint Research Program on the Influence of Indian Culture in Southeast Asia, the Joint Research Program on Buddhism and Hinduism in Vietnam, and the Research Program on Vietnam-India Relations in the past 45 years. The Department has also published many in-depth research books on India such asThe problem of localizing the Indian epic Ramayana in some Southeast Asian countries(Culture and Information Publishing House),Indian Literature Textbook(VNU Publishing House),Textbook of Indian Customs and Practices(VNU Publishing House). Based on these achievements, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will continue to accompany the Embassy of India in Vietnam as well as the people and government of India in general to promote bilateral cultural and educational exchanges.

Mr. Ha Minh Hue speaking at the conference 

On behalf of the Vietnam-India Friendship Association, Mr. Ha Minh Hue shared his thoughts and feelings as a former student who studied in the neighboring country. As the first Vietnamese journalist to be trained in New Delhi, India for 9 months in 1979, he expressed his confidence in one of the most advanced educational systems in the world and the leading one in Asia. He said that an advantage of Indian universities is that many programs are taught in English, creating convenience for international students. Mr. Ha Minh Hue also expressed his optimism about the future of Vietnam-India educational relations, and encouraged the Indian Embassy in Vietnam to organize more seminars and exhibitions to introduce the potential and innovative technologies of the neighboring country's higher education system.

Prof. P. Manoj presenting at the conference

Mr. Rajiv Bodwade presented at the conference

Also at the conference, the audience listened to two presentations on "India: Educational Destination" by Prof. P. Manoj (Principal of Amrita Business School, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham) and "Education in India" by Mr. Rajiv Bodwade (First Secretary of the Embassy of India in Vietnam). The presentations introduced the educational philosophy; research and training quality of prominent universities in India; typical training majors and majors; experiences in applying for scholarships, studying, living and working in India; as well as some typical faces of Vietnamese alumni.