British University Vietnam (BUV) has conducted the groundbreaking ceremony on its new campus in Ecopark township in Hung Yen province.

The project, which will be built in three phases on 6.5 hectares and on a total investment of 70 million USD, is expected to accommodate 7,000 full-time students upon completion.

The 25-million USD first phase will cover nearly three hectares and is scheduled to become functional by the end of 2017.

The school's second campus, just 12km away from the Hanoi's centre, will also accommodate a sports and entertainment complex, which will be open not only to its students but also to residents in its vicinity.

"Educational institutions need to grow sustainably. Apart from imparting knowledge and critical thinking skills, we are also committed to offering Vietnamese students professional working skills to keep pace with the global employment market," BUV's Dean Christopher Jeffery said during a press conference held ahead of the ceremony.

"The Ecopark new campus construction shows BUV's commitment to promoting sustainable development in Vietnam. We are aiming to recreate the modern, supreme teaching environment in UK schools here so that Vietnamese students can obtain a world-class, highly regarded training and education right here in their home country."

According to the school's officials, the new campus is designed not only for local students but also for international students who will like to experience Vietnamese culture whilst gaining exactly similar training courses as in the UK.

With its major focus on business, BUV is the first international university in Vietnam to get the Ministry of Education and Training's approval to conduct full-time degree programmes: B.A. in Finance and in Economics.-VNA