At the meeting between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm and Concordia University President and Vice-Chancellor Graham Carr in Canada on September 25 (local time). VNA/VNS Photo

OTTAWA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm has suggested that Canada's Concordia University regard Việt Nam as a priority partner in the Asia-Pacific region, develop a long-term cooperation strategy, and shift from individual activities to a deeper partnership.

At a meeting with Concordia University President and Vice-Chancellor Graham Carr as part of his state visit to Canada on September 25, General Secretary and President Lâm spoke highly of the university's years-long hosting of Vietnamese students and scholars and its cooperation with Vietnamese partners in research and training.

This provides a favourable foundation for the two sides to elevate their cooperation to a new level, making it more substantive and far-reaching, the leader affirmed.

He said the Party and State of Việt Nam have consistently regarded education and training as a top national priority, with people serving as the centre, the subject, the goal and the driving force of development.

Việt Nam is focusing on building a modern, open, substantive and internationally integrated education system, developing high-quality human resources, and promoting science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers of growth, he continued.

General Secretary and President Lâm expressed his hope that education, together with science and technology and innovation, would become an important pillar of Việt Nam-Canada relations.

He suggested the two sides focus resources on several strategic areas that align with the university's strengths and Việt Nam's needs, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data governance, clean energy, smart cities, sustainable infrastructure and climate change adaptation.

He also urged the university to expand joint training programmes, co-supervision of research, and exchanges of lecturers, experts and students; provide scholarships for Vietnamese students and young scientists; and encourage Canadian students and scholars to study, conduct research and gain experience in Việt Nam.

The leader welcomed Concordia University's cooperation with Vietnamese agencies and educational institutions to develop training programmes on AI, cybersecurity, data governance and digital leadership for managers, civil servants and experts.

General Secretary and President Lâm suggested Concordia University and its Vietnamese partners select several representative pilot projects, gradually develop larger-scale cooperation programmes, translate the results into practical applications, and create tangible value for the development of both countries.

Việt Nam welcomes and stands ready to facilitate Concordia University's expanded cooperation with Vietnamese partners, he pledged.

For his part, Professor Carr spoke highly of Việt Nam's socio-economic development achievements and fully agreed with the cooperation orientations outlined by General Secretary and President Lâm. The Vice-Chancellor expressed his belief that cooperation in education would help improve the quality of human resources and enhance mutual understanding.

Briefing the Vietnamese leader on the university's strengths, Carr said Concordia University ranks among the world's top 10 for research in computer science, software engineering and AI, and is the only university in Canada offering comprehensive programmes in AI and cybersecurity.

The university has extensive experience and broad partnerships with governments and major businesses, such as Ericsson, in areas including 5G networks, cloud computing infrastructure, national cybersecurity, automation and data governance.

Carr expressed his wish to promote substantive bilateral cooperation with Việt Nam in research and human resource training in cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation.

He also said that university representatives are expected to pay a working visit to Hà Nội in the coming days to further advance specific cooperation initiatives. He affirmed that the university would continue building its cooperative ties on the basis of mutual respect and shared values regarding educational quality, with the common goal of training high-quality human resources, creating substantive and meaningful cooperation opportunities with positive impacts, and serving the interests of both sides. — VNA/VNS