Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visits the Australian National University in Canberra on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

CANBERRA — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Friday (local time) visited the Australian National University (ANU) and attended an education forum in Canberra, as part of his official visit to Australia.

In his remarks, the PM highlighted the close and practical friendship between Việt Nam and Australia, and the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership made on the occasion of his visit.

PM Chính called educational cooperation a bright spot in the Việt Nam-Australia ties with various achievements gained over the past time, contributing to raising personnel quality in service of national development.

Australia is one of the most favourite destinations of Vietnamese students, he said, noting many of them had gained success and made significant contributions to national development as well as bilateral relations after returning home.

The leader affirmed that Việt Nam always paid due heed to education-training, and human resources development, especially high-quality personnel, which was expected to be also one of its three strategic breakthroughs, along with institution and infrastructure.

Việt Nam prioritised attracting foreign investment to education-training, yet such influx remained limited, especially to higher education, the PM said, stressing that ample room remained for the two countries to enhance their cooperation in this field, thus maintaining its role as an important pillar of the relationship and contributing to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership.

To boost the collaboration, the two countries should further review and perfect relevant institutions, mechanisms and policies, he suggested.

"The Vietnamese Government commits to protecting legal, legitimate rights and interests of foreign educational institutions and investors, for mutual benefits," the leader said.

PM Chính commended the establishment of a joint working group by the two countries’ ministries of education and training to support Australian universities to open their branches in Việt Nam.

He also suggested raising the volume and quality of cooperation programmes between educational institutions of the two countries, with more attention to science-technology research, development and application, and such areas as AI, big data, green energy, and biotechnology, which are Việt Nam’s needs and Australia’s strengths.

Resources should be mobilised and optimised to implement key projects that are consistent with Australia’s strengths and interests, and Việt Nam’s demand, the leader continued.   

PM Chính expressed his hope and belief that the forum would open up a new period of educational cooperation between the two countries, and that there would be more Australian educational institutions to operate in Việt Nam, and diverse, effective cooperation and research forms, with special attention to projects at the regional level.

At the forum, PM Chính and representatives from ministries and agencies witnessed the exchange of eight cooperation documents between the two countries’ universities, covering the exchange of students and lecturers, and training in new and important fields like AI, big data, semiconductors, health sciences, environment, digital technology and green energy, among others.

More than 80,000 Vietnamese students have studied in Australia so far, and over 200 Vietnamese and Australian educational institutions have engaged in cooperation programmes. — VNS