Top leader calls for stronger Vietnam - New Zealand ties in higher and vocational education

At the forum, Penny Simmonds, New Zealand Minister for Tertiary Education and Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, hailed the long-standing and wide-ranging connections between the two countries, affirming that educational cooperation has been a cornerstone of bilateral relations and will remain an important component of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Simmonds welcomed the signing of an educational cooperation agreement during the visit, saying the two sides have agreed to promote more practical and effective collaboration to build a sustainable, inclusive and resilient education system, accelerate digital transformation, develop high-quality human resources and equip learners to adapt to the rapid changes of the digital era.

Highlighting the positive results of bilateral cooperation across various fields, she expressed her hope that the two countries will continue to work together in education to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in today’s world.

The New Zealand Government will continue to support short-term English-language training courses for Vietnamese officials, facilitate exchanges of students and academics, and enhance cooperation between educational institutions of the two countries, helping Vietnamese students access New Zealand-quality education in Vietnam, the official added.

Addressing the forum, General Secretary and President Lam said Vietnam regards human development as the focus, goal and driving force of national construction and defence. The Party and State have identified education and training as a top national priority while science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are viewed as key drivers of labour productivity, national competitiveness and quality growth.

He noted that both Vietnam and New Zealand attach importance to education, promote innovation, pursue green growth and sustainable development, respect international law and place people at the centre of development policies.

New Zealand has extensive experience in building a high-quality and flexible education system centred on learners, practical skills, research, innovation and the needs of the economy. It also possesses strengths in high-tech agriculture, food technology, resources management, the green economy, digital transformation, sustainable development and modern public governance. These areas are well aligned with Vietnam’s development needs and offer numerous opportunities for practical bilateral cooperation.

To advance partnerships in higher and vocational education more substantively, General Secretary and President Lam called on the two sides to jointly develop high-quality human resources for the digital, green, circular and knowledge-based economies, prioritising areas of strong demand and high complementarity such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, digital technology, cybersecurity, biotechnology, smart agriculture, food technology, renewable energy, environmental technology, public governance and emerging occupations of the future.

The two sides should promote cooperation in research, innovation and knowledge transfer. Universities and research institutes should become centres for creating knowledge, connecting businesses and addressing development challenges. More joint research groups, co-supervision programmes for doctoral students, innovation projects and mechanisms for translating research outcomes into practice should be established, he suggested.

Vietnam and New Zealand also need to strengthen cooperation in vocational education and skills development by developing flexible training programmes, recognising credits and competencies, and promoting workplace training and reskilling programmes for the workforce, he added.

General Secretary and President Lam expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to expand exchanges among students, lecturers, scientists, experts and education administrators. Each lecturer, scientist and student is an ambassador of knowledge and friendship, helping to strengthen and expand the relationship between the two countries.

Cooperation agreements should soon be translated into concrete action plans with clear objectives, focal points, resources, deliverables and evaluation mechanisms. Education cooperation in the new period should be measured by tangible outcomes: learners acquire better skills, educational institutions innovate more strongly, businesses gain access to more suitable human resources, and society benefits more from knowledge and innovation.

The leader called on management agencies, universities, vocational education institutions, research institutes and businesses of both countries to select priority areas, develop joint projects capable of generating impact, and maintain regular dialogue channels so that today’s commitments can soon become practical results.

At the forum, several Vietnamese and New Zealand universities exchanged documents on educational cooperation./.