Socialist Republic of Vietnam

HA NOI —Talented Vietnamese scientists and technicians have new opportunities to study abroad through a new plan created by the Vietnamese Government, to help speed up the nation’s modernisation process.

According to a Prime Ministerial decision made last week, around VND260 billion (US$16.4 million) of State money will be allocated every year to 400 Vietnamese people wanting to study in postgraduate science and technology courses overseas, between 2006-10.

The plan will help Vietnamese gain Masters and Doctorate degrees from American and Canadian universities. Opportunities will also exist throughout Europe with programmes offered in Germany, France, Russia and the Netherlands. Closer to home, students will be able to study in Japan, the Republic of Korea and China.

Along with the Vietnamese Government’s new plan, the Australian Government has also launched a programme in which 150 scholarships are available for postgraduate study at Australian universities in the area of rural development, commencing in early 2007.

Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam Joe Thwaites said strengthening the capacity of Vietnamese people was a very high priority as the country was striving to modernise and integrate into the world economy.

"Support for human resources development has always been an important operating principle for Australia’s development co-operation in Viet Nam, and the Australian development scholarships programme is a key element of that support," said Joe.

The programme is funded by the Australian Government and administered through the Australian Agency for International Development and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training.

Viet Nam News, May 4, 2005