A number of important points have been approved at the fourth University Council Meeting of the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi – USTH (also called Vietnam France University), which was held on February 9th 2018.
Accordingly, USTH will launch new programmes to meet job market demand, including English course for students, cooperate to issue degrees of France and Vietnam and restructure its training and research scheme.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Bertrand Lortholary – Ambassador of Republic of France in Vietnam; Prof. Chau Van Minh – Chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology – VAST cum. Chairman of the University Council; Prof. Patrick Boiron – Rector of USTH, Mr. Bernard Legube – President of USTH Consortium and members of the University Council, representatives of Ministries, universities and research institutes in Vietnam and France.
Prof. Chau Van Minh said the meeting was held in a special and meaningful context when USTH will finish its first 10 years of development in the next two years. The intergovernmental agreement between Vietnam and France has entered its eighth year of the ten year period 2009-2019.
According to the university’s report, USTH accomplished more achievements in the academic year 2016-2017 compared to the previous year. The number of bachelor students increased by 25% while that of master students who took internship overseas upped 38.5%. In addition, international publications surged by 37.8% while the amount of research topics strongly increased and the university’s facilities were upgraded.
Six bachelor training programmes of USTH were awarded the Accreditation Decision to the European standard by The High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) in April 2017.
Especially, on December 15th, 2017, USTH offcially signed a cooperative agreement with Vietnam Aviation Corporation or Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company (VAECO) to launch the Bachelor programme in Aeronautical Engineering and the Master programme in International Air Transport Operations Management from the academic year 2018-2019. Besides the comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam Airlines and VAECO, the two programmes are also strongly supported by the Airbus Corporation, the French Civl Aviation University or École nationale de l’aviation civile (ENAC) and Institut aéronautique et spatial (IAS).
During the meeting, representatives discussed the cooperation between Vietnam and France in the second phase of the intergovernmental agreement.
USTH plays a key role in Vietnam-France cooperation, said Bertrand Lortholary – Ambassador of France to Vietnam, adding that it is imperative to have an agreement to lengthen the joint vision of the two project’s parties in 2018.
As a result, a Letter of Intent for the development of USTH was signed by VAST and Embassy of France at the meeting. Accordingly, the two sides agreed to continue their support for the development of USTH as well as develop and expand their cooperation in high-level sustainable science and technology. They also pledged to collaborate in issuing degrees of Vietnam and France at three levels, including Bachelor, Master and Doctor and develop joint laboratories.
The two sides also hoped to foster research activities through strengthening cooperative partnership with academies and members of USTH Consortium. Finally, they agreed to plan and submit the intergovernmental agreement – Phase Two to Vietnamese and French governments so that it can be signed on the celebration of 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment between the two countries (1973-2018).
Representatives at the meeting also discussed and agreed to open four new Bachelor programmes, including Chemistry, Engineering Physics and Electronics, Cyber Security, Applied Mathematics and a 700-hour English preparatory programme for students who are not confident in their English skills. They also agreed to restructure training and research departments as well as tuition fee for the academic year 2018-2019.
With important points approved in the event, the University Council Meeting IV has marked a new level of the development of USTH.