Vietnamese aiming for quality education abroad can begin at secondary school, Peter Mackey, Austrade Education Commissioner for Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific tells Le Hung Vong.
There are a wide variety of quality study options available to students in Australia.
One of the many benefits of Australia's education system is the study pathways that allow students to commence studies in secondary school or English language programmes and then progress onto a vocational education programme or a university course. In 2010, there were over 26,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia.
Most of these students were undertaking either a vocational education course or university programmes in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Vietnamese students are generally interested in program areas such as hospitality, commerce, business and engineering.
To explore the study options in detail, use the interactive ‘Study Wizard' in the website www.study inaustralia.gov.au. This is the official Australian Government website to provide information about studying in Australia to international students.
One obvious area of education cooperation is in the area of scholarships. Australia is one of the largest providers of scholarships to Viet Nam.
Another area that is of particular interest is the vocational education sector. Viet Nam, like many countries is struggling with skills shortages in many areas due to its rapid growth, and with such a young population it is vitally important that these people are well educated and well trained to maintain economic growth. This is where Australia can work very closely with Viet Nam at the government, institutional and industry levels.
Australia's vocational education system is known around the world for its strong industry-based curriculum and there are many examples of Australian Vocational Education and Training providers working collaboratively with Vietnamese institutional and industry partners. There is also tremendous co-operation at the university level between institutions of both countries. There are also many areas of need in the schools and English language fields, and Australia is very keen to work with Viet Nam more closely in these areas as well.
Australia has very strong expertise in the area of environmental sustainability. Some of our institutions have world class reputations in this field. Many leading Australian universities have established schools specifically focused on the area of sustainability.
There are a number of areas where Australia can work closely with Viet Nam, including urban design and sustainable development. In fact, the Australian Trade Commission just assisted with a delegation from the Victorian Government to Viet Nam in June that was focussed on this very area. There are many other examples in the fields of agriculture and aquaculture, waste and water management. The Australian Trade Commission will also be arranging a Developing Viet Nam Mission in September where a number of Australian businesses and education institutions will visit Viet Nam to explore opportunities to assist in this area. That mission will have a particular focus on all aspects of water management including wastewater treatment, flood management, salination, and so on.
Talk to students who have already been to Australia. The Viet Nam Graduates of Australia Club (VGAC) has chapters in Ha Noi and HCM City. They can provide first hand insights and experiences about study in Australia. Also visit www.studyinaustralia.gov.au. It is important that students think carefully about their future career aspirations and then explore study options that will enable them to realise these goals. The Study Wizard on the website is an excellent way to do that. Once you have decided on a course, then you can research the most relevant institutions and also think about the location in which you would like to study in Australia. The Study in Australia website also provides a lot of practical information about cost of living and accommodation and so on – it is very important students are familiar with these details first.
There will be a large Australian Education exhibition in Ha Noi and HCM City on 12-13 November this year, where students can get more information. We will also honour Vietnamese alumni from Australian institutions at the Australian Alumni Awards in Ha Noi on 11 November.
More information will be provided in the coming weeks. — VNS