Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Manh Thanh, Hue University Vice President, along with the staff of Office for International Cooperation, solemnly received the delegation. At the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Manh Thanh expressed his honour and pleasure to welcome Mr. Ambassador to Hue University, and highlighted the strategic significance of Australian Government’s cooperation programmes, especially in education, culture and research, with Vietnam in general and Hue University in particular. On behalf of Hue University Directorial Board, Dr. Thanh reported to Mr. Ambassador the overview of Hue University, its collaboration programmes with Australian educational institutions, the positive contribution of its staff and students trained in Australia as well as the activities of the ADS Alumni Group in Thua Thien Hue province with the support of the Australian Embassy and Hue University. He also confirmed the desire to institute official bilateral relationships with leading Australian universities in the fields of both sides’ potentials, with the Australian Embassy acting as the introducer and connector. Hue University has full potentials to actively take part in joint training programmes and student and staff exchange programmes in any academic fields, ranging from natural sciences, social sciences to culture.

On this occasion, Mr. Ambassador expressed his joy at visiting Hue University and his thanks for Hue University's cordial welcome. Mr. Ambassador valued Hue University as a high quality university not only in Central Vietnam but across the nation as well. He emphasized that educational cooperation has been one of the major concerns of the Australian Government towards Vietnam. Since the first Vietnamese students came to study in Australia in 1974, Australia has remained the most generous in granting scholarships to Vietnamese students and researchers thus far. The number of Vietnamese students to Australia has been continuously on the rise, based on the aids of Australian and Vietnamese governments and student family.

Mr. Ambassador and Dr. Thanh also discussed specific cooperation possibilities in the key and prioritized fields of Hue University. Several disciplines attracting common interest include IT, biotechnology, research on lagoon, coastal and remote areas, etc. The view of founding a Hue University-based international centre for English language was taken into consideration and given a nod by Mr. Ambassador. The meeting was closed in a warm and encouraging atmosphere, promising a new pace of development in the relationship between Australian Government and Hue University. Dr. Thanh, afterwards, took Mr. Ambassador to Hue University Learning Resource Center (LRC). Mr. Ambassador appreciated the fruits the LRC has reaped, conveying his distinct impression about LRC’s plentiful materials and good service, on top of the LRC building’s uniqueness in the integration of traditional Vietnamese decoration patterns into such a modern architecture.

                                              Reported by Duong Thi Hoang Oanh/Translated by Lam Vu