A senior official has stated that the Ministry of Education and Training is prepared to collaborate with the Francophone University Association (AUF) to establish a national consultation framework and enhance the promotion of AUF activities, with a focus on advancing the use of the French language in education, training, science, and technology.
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc made these comments during a seminar on Francophone scientific research at Vietnamese universities. The event was co-organized by the AUF and Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Hanoi.
Currently, many universities in Vietnam have French language departments, which help train thousands of bachelors in French as well as bachelors of science and technology who are using French. This is an important factor in promoting Francophone research activities in Vietnamese universities, he noted. The AUF has had an office in the Asia-Pacific region since 1992, and to date, 47 Vietnamese universities are members.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that, with the assistance of the Asia-Pacific office, higher education institutions have undertaken numerous projects and scientific research initiatives aimed at enhancing the environment and quality of higher education at these universities, thereby contributing to the overall development of higher education in Vietnam. He expressed high regard for the team of scientists working in French and praised the quality of their research efforts.
Regional Director of AUF Asia-Pacific Office Nicolas Mainetti said that changes in education and training create opportunities but also pose challenges for the French language. This requires the AUF to seek solutions for the Francophone community to become a driving force for promoting research and innovating the research ecosystem.
He stated that the AUF intends to utilize this forum to establish a national consultation framework for evaluating the current state of the use of French in scientific research development in Vietnam and to reach a consensus on the matter. The goal is to provide both practical and theoretical foundations for future reforms in Vietnam's higher education and research system, ultimately creating better conditions to accelerate scientific research conducted in French within the country.
