On the morning of October 10, 2023, Vice President – PhD Candidate Phan Vo Quynh Nhu and Dr. Tran Thien Khanh – Head of the Department of Science, Technology, and International Cooperation attended the Vietnam – Canada Research and Education Cooperation Forum 2023, held at Le Meridien Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

In Session 1 of the forum, participants had the opportunity to listen to a discussion on "Perspectives of Canada and Vietnam on Higher Education Partnerships and Cooperation Opportunities."

The session featured a presentation by Ms. Karen Dalkie, Vice President of Development & Partnerships at CBIE, who shared Canada's perspective on higher education partnerships and collaboration potential with Vietnam.

Following the presentation, a panel discussion took place, where representatives from Canadian and Vietnamese universities exchanged institutional perspectives on trends, priorities, and strategic education collaboration methods.

The discussion was moderated by Jasmine Wahhab, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City.

In Session 2 of the forum, the following presentations were delivered:

Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Ha, Dean of International Education, Foreign Trade University, and Assad David, Program Director of Pathway, Global Learning and Engagement, University of New Brunswick, presented a case study on the Foreign Trade University and University of New Brunswick partnership, with the topic:

"Case Study on Vietnam - Canada Partnerships and Lessons Learned (Virtual)."

Dr. Douglas Foster, Associate Dean at the International School of Business, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH-ISB), presented a case study on the partnership between UEH-ISB and Universite du Quebec a Montreal.

Following the presentations, a panel discussion was held, where representatives from Canadian and Vietnamese universities shared insights on lessons learned from Canada - Vietnam collaboration experiences and provided recommendations for future cooperation.

The discussion was moderated by Tu Nguyen, Trade Commissioner and Vietnam Education Lead at the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City.

Not only did the forum provide an opportunity to listen to insightful presentations from speakers, but it also facilitated direct meetings between Canadian and Vietnamese universities.

A B2B meeting session was organized, where Canadian and Vietnamese universities engaged in pre-arranged discussions through the event platform. The meetings were scheduled across four time slots, each lasting 20 minutes.

Recognizing this as a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections and expand collaboration between Vietnam and Canada, Dong Nai Technology University (DNTU) actively participated in these discussions. The university had the chance to meet with prestigious Canadian institutions, such as the University of Windsor, the University of Ottawa, and York University, among others.

The forum successfully fostered direct research collaborations between institutes and universities from both countries. Discussions centered on:

• Enhancing joint research projects through protocol agreements
• Strengthening cooperation in capacity building for science and technology management personnel
• Exchanging partnership opportunities between Vietnam and Canada, both active members in various international research networks

Some event highlights in pictures: