University of Danang Leads PHER Project for Education Innovation

The University of Danang (UD) hosted the Learning event for the Partnership for Higher Education Reform (PHER) Project for the 2022-2024 period.

Attending the event, there were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, President of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu, Member of Da Nang City Party Committee, President of UD; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Bao Son, Vice President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Anh, PHER Project Director; Dr. Teshome Alemneh, Co-Director of the PHER Project; Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thao, Project Management Specialist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam; Dr. Phan Anh Duc, Party Secretary and Chairman of the UD Council; Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong, Acting Director of the PHER Project; representatives from USAID, the World Bank (WB), and Indiana University (IU), USA; as well as leaders from member universities and affiliated units of UD.

In the opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Vu, President of UD, warmly welcomed the delegates to the learning event of the PHER Project for the 2022-2024 period. UD President also emphasized that this occasion allowed the universities and their partners to reflect on the attained significant achievements, share experiences, and thereby promote successful initiatives while addressing existing limitations to ensure the project's continued effective implementation in the coming years.

President Nguyen Ngoc Vu noted that the PHER Project brings great expectations and confidence to UD and the three universities, serving as a substantial impetus for important changes in governance, training, scientific research, and partnerships, thereby contributing to the development of higher education in Vietnam.

As a leading center for training, scientific research, and technology transfer in the region and nation, UD places special emphasis on training quality, considering it the 'red thread' throughout and the foundation for sustainable development of a university.

To achieve its goal of enhancing training quality, UD has implemented several strategic orientations. These include strengthening connections with high schools to improve input quality, promoting university-industry cooperation to align training with employment needs, and expanding international cooperation for faculty and student exchanges, research collaboration, and additional resources for development and international integration. The university also focuses on building relationships with ministries, sectors, and localities to elevate its social standing. Additionally, UD is committed to innovating its governance, aiming for modernity and professionalism, while linking these efforts with digital transformation to ensure learner satisfaction.

These strategic pillars of UD align with the four strategic activities that the PHER Project has been implementing over the past two years. The project has assisted UD and the two national universities in modernizing university governance following the model of Indiana University, USA, focusing primarily on human factors. Many staff and lecturers have received capacity-building training, exchanged experiences with experts, and participated in training courses, contributing to enhancing research capacity,  innovation, and improving the quality of the workforce.

Initiatives from the project have acted as bridges between universities and enterprises, connecting alumni, contributing to the development of training programs that meet the practical needs of the labor market, creating job opportunities for students, and effectively promoting knowledge transfer.

“The project has established and strengthened an extensive cooperation network between our three universities and international partners such as USAID, the World Bank, and the network of U.S. universities like Indiana University. This foundation not only facilitates knowledge sharing but also opens prospects for long-term cooperation to enhance the prestige and competitiveness of each university as well as Vietnam's higher education. This highlight is a significant success of the project for UD” emphasized President Nguyen Ngoc Vu.

Representatives of UD gave special thanks to USAID, Indiana University, the leadership of Vietnam National University, Hanoi and Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, the World Bank in Vietnam, and the leadership of the PHER Project Management Board for their dedication and responsibility, contributing to the project's success to date.

In the future, UD commits to continue effectively implementing the project's initiatives and strengthening cooperation with relevant parties to achieve breakthrough results.

At the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, expressed his pleasure in attending the event, recalling the close ties with the project from its early days alongside the three universities and partners namely USAID, WB, and IU.

President Vu Hai Quan shared practical lessons and notable results of the project for the three leading universities in Vietnam, including experiences in innovating advanced higher education governance, enhancing research capacity, fostering innovation, and promoting enterprise cooperation.