Representatives from Waterloo International travelled to Vietnam recently to explore the potential for increased relations within the post-secondary educational landscape. As one of six of Canada's top 13 trading partners located within the Indo-Pacific region, it represents a substantial growth market for inter-university collaboration in the future.
Amelia Burton, Associate Director, International Relations and Suping Zhao, Manager, International Relations, spent a week in March visiting various institutions throughout the country seeking new avenues for collaboration and relationship building.
Early engagement with Vietnam began in 2021 with Waterloo International's participation in the "Virtual Canada-Vietnam Education Collaboration and Networking Event" organized by Global Affairs Canada, with exploratory meetings with various Vietnamese universities occurring over the pandemic. Following up on these virtual activities, Burton and Zhao engaged in discussions with each institution exploring opportunities for research collaboration, student and faculty mobility, and joint academic programs with potential for more expansive connections.
Starting in Ha Noi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City, they visited a total of eight universities, including VNU University of Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Duy Tân University, University of Da Nang, Huế University, Ton Duc Thang University, FPT University and VNU University of Technology.
Based on the success of these meetings, Waterloo International sees excellent potential for further engagement continuing to connect with partners of interest to forge meaningful new relationships within the Vietnamese educational market. If you are interested in learning more about our activities in the Indo-Pacific region and Vietnam, please contact Suping Zhao or Amelia Burton.
