Central city’s students receive scholarships from Japanese partners

Vietnamese students from Đà Nẵng University receive scholarships from the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) in a ceremony in Đà Nẵng. More than 2,000 students, of which 480 from Đà Nẵng, have been given scholarships by the Japanese partners over past decades. Photo courtesy of Trịnh Quang Chinh

ĐÀ NẴNG – Scholarships have been given to 20 Đà Nẵng University students at an annual scholarship awards ceremony held by the university in cooperation with the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren).

This year marks the 20th in a row that the Japanese partners have provided scholarships to more than 2,000 Vietnamese students, 480 of whom were from Đà Nẵng University.

The scholarship programme follows a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2023 of diplomatic ties between Japan and Việt Nam, as well as the two countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World. 

Mizushima Kozo, representative of Keidanren and chairman of the Japan-Việt Nam Economic Committee, said the annual scholarship awards shined a spotlight on the closer-than-ever ties between Japan and Việt Nam in many fields, including education.

“It’s an opportunity to promote training a skilled workforce in terms of high-tech industries, the ‘green’ transition and digitalisation in economy, culture and education,” Mizushima Kozo said at the event.

Kozo, who is also general director of Sojitz Corporation Việt Nam, shared that the scholarships would help Vietnamese students learn more about Japan and business during their education.

Associated Professor Lê Thành Bắc, Vice President of the University of Đà Nẵng, said students from the university have been receiving scholarships from Japanese partners since 2001, helping improve education and training activities at the university.

He said the university has been designated as a key source of high-quality education in the central and central highlands region, as well as developing National University programmes.

Bắc added that the university will continue to promote cooperation with international partners and Japanese businesses to improve education and scientific research in the future.

A 'friendship trees plantation' event is held at Liên Chiểu district of Đà Nẵng City in celebration of the 50 anniversary of Japan-Việt Nam diplomatic ties. Đà Nẵng has been building closer than ever ties with Japan over past decades. VNS Photo Công Thành

Đà Nẵng University, home to 50,000 students and 2,600 staff including 1,600 lecturers, aims to be one of top three centres of education, scientific research and technology transfer in Việt Nam and globally.

It has been building partnerships with universities in Japan, including Yokohama National University, Kyoto University, the University of Kitakyushu, KOSEN National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka University of Technology, Chuo University, JFE Holdings Inc, Japan Energy Services Corporation and Fulltime System company.        

Nine cities in Japan -- Osaka, Fukuoka, Yokohama, Maebashi, Chiba, Shizuoka, Tokyo, Tottori and Nagasaki -- as well as 82 Japanese businesses have signed cooperation deals for student workforce training and employment in central Việt Nam.

The first Japanese language studies and culture research faculty was established at Đà Nẵng-based Đông Á university in 2020.

Đà Nẵng was a stop for the Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko as part of their official trip to Việt Nam last year.

The city is home to 228 investment projects from Japan worth US$1.04 billion, which have created 40,000 jobs in central Việt Nam.

Four prefectures from Japan -- Kisarazu, Kawasaki, Sakai and Yokohama -- have also signed friendship and cooperation memoranda with Đà Nẵng, and the annual Việt Nam-Japan Cultural Exchange Day has been organised in Đà Nẵng since 2014.

Japan upgraded its Consulate Office in Đà Nẵng to a General Consulate just one year after it was founded in 2020.