Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST)https://www.hust.edu.vn/uploads/sys/logo-website02_136_200_1.png
Monday - 24/04/2023 00:31
The seminar entitled "Research and knowledge transfer in Vietnam: designing an excellence framework" was held on April 13, 2023, as part of the "Vietnam Days in the UK" program, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam. The Embassy of Vietnam in the UK and the UK-Vietnam Higher Education Partnership network (UK-VN HEP) hosted the hybrid seminar in London. The University of Portsmouth, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, and Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City contributed to the event.
Hosted by Ambassador to Viet Nam Dr Nguyen Hoang Long, the seminar featured keynotes from leading experts in assessing research excellence in the UK, Professors Bruce Brown and Nachi Chockalingam, who are both acting as UK-based consultants on the project. Representatives from universities across the UK as well as the Quality Assurance Agency and Universities UK International attended the in-person event. Dr Tran Nam Tu, Deputy Director General, Department for Science, Technology and Environment, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Donna McGowan, Country Director British Council Viet Nam were among those participants who participants joined remotely from Viet Nam.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Long, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK, spoke at the seminar's opening and commended the pivotal role of the UK-Vietnam Higher Education Network in fostering academic partnerships between the two countries to support and meet students' needs. He expressed his expectation for further collaboration between the UK and Vietnamese higher education institutions in research and knowledge transfer and emphasized the Embassy of Vietnam's willingness to support the network in connecting and promoting academic partnerships in these priority areas.
Vietnam has recognized the significance of science and technology in driving socio-economic growth, as well as promoting industrialization and modernization. However, knowledge transfer levels at Vietnamese universities still lag behind those of some neighbouring countries. The Research Excellence Framework system, which has demonstrated success in promoting high-quality scientific research in the UK and Hong Kong, could be a potential model to promote knowledge transfer in Vietnam.
During the seminar, participants discussed the research and knowledge transfer capacity in Vietnam, as well as the insights of UK experts in designing the Research Excellence Framework system. Professor Raymond Lee, co-chair of the UK-VN HEP network, stressed the importance of designing a research excellence framework and the contribution of stakeholders, including government and authorities, universities, and enterprises, to the practical implementation of the framework in the Vietnamese context.
He also presented the research project "Assessment of Research and Knowledge Transfer: the views of academics in Vietnam" during the seminar. The project, funded by the British Council in Vietnam and involving five universities - the University of Portsmouth, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, and Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City - aims to design an excellence framework to accelerate the development of high-quality and applicable research in Vietnamese universities. The project's goals include developing a framework for assessment of research and knowledge transfer, supporting Vietnamese academics in achieving excellence in research and knowledge transfer, enhancing student outcomes through educational models driven by research and knowledge transfer, and positioning Vietnam as a major global player in the HE landscapes.