Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long meets British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew in Hà Nội on Thursday. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Government Portal

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long received British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew in Hà Nội on Thursday, affirming education as a standout pillar in the Việt Nam - UK Strategic Partnership.

The meeting also saw the attendance of representatives from the University of Southampton, which is ranked among the world’s top 100 universities by QS World Rankings and Navitas, a leading global education group.

Long stressed that education and training played a vital role in advancing the bilateral ties, especially as the two nations were preparing to mark the 15th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2025. He described educational cooperation as a highlight and called on the UK to further strengthen institutional linkages and scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students.

The Deputy PM noted that bilateral trust and cooperation had become increasingly comprehensive and profound in recent years, and suggested that the UK’s continued support could play a valuable role in helping Việt Nam advance its goal of making English a second language.

Frew shared a similar view, emphasising that education has long been a central element of the UK–Việt Nam relations. He pointed to the presence of 12,000 Vietnamese students currently studying at British institutions as a reflection of the strong ties in this area, and highlighted the expanding opportunities for collaboration across a range of educational fields from general and vocational training to English-language education.

The ambassador also applauded Việt Nam’s human capital development efforts, citing four key Politburo resolutions, especially Resolution 57 on driving breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Việt Nam in enhancing education quality and expanding access to scholarships.

A representative from the University of Southampton expressed appreciation for Việt Nam’s regulatory openness to international education institutions and shared plans to boost collaboration in the country’s higher education sector.

Long reiterated Việt Nam’s strategic focus on institutional reforms, infrastructure development, and human, particularly the training of a high-quality workforce.

He noted that Việt Nam aimed to host at least two more branch campuses of world-class universities by 2030 and become a regional hub for international education.

He welcomed Southampton’s interest in establishing partnerships and encouraged targeted cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, innovation, digital transformation, and science and technology. — VNA/VNS