Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau received Prof. Hongbin Cai, Dean of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Business School, on October 20, calling for stronger academic cooperation and welcoming the school’s plan to establish a campus in Vietnam.
At the meeting in Hanoi, Cai briefed the Deputy PM on the school’s development, operating model and training strategies in business and business administration.
He also shared its experience in internationalisation, partnership building and research, noting that the school is attracting talented academics from around the world.
Commending the HKU, the oldest research university in Hong Kong (China), for its standing among the world’s leading higher education institutions, Chau also recognised the contributions by the HKU’s representative office in Vietnam since 2022. The office has helped secure more than 4.7 million USD in scholarships for Vietnamese students and organised training in AI management and digital transformation for a high-level delegation of Vietnam’s National Assembly.
The Deputy PM said Vietnam has identified the development of high-quality human resources as one of its three targeted strategic breakthroughs. The Politburo’s Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW also calls for stronger cooperation and greater foreign investment in higher education.
Emphasising the importance of close and sustainable educational cooperation, Chau welcomed the proposal to establish a campus of the HKU Business School in Vietnam and develop a global business research and education platform in Hanoi.
Vietnam has continued to improve its institutional framework and investment environment to facilitate the school’s operations, he noted, adding that the Government’s Decree No. 361/2026/ND-CP sets out specific conditions for foreign higher education institutions to establish branch campuses in Vietnam.
To advance the proposal, Chau suggested a phased investment approach, starting with joint training programmes in cooperation with reputable Vietnamese higher education institutions or pilot courses in selected fields. These initial steps will help assess demand and gradually expand enrolment before the school proceeds with the necessary procedures and investment in a fully fledged campus.
He called on the school and its partners to further expand academic cooperation with Vietnam, encouraging HKU faculty members to teach and supervise doctoral candidates in the country, and promoting joint research, co-authored scientific publications and the commercialisation of research results.
He also proposed establishing priority admission arrangements for outstanding young scientists and students sent by Vietnam for training, increasing the number and value of scholarships for Vietnamese students, and supporting the training of Vietnamese lecturers and education managers.
Highlighting areas that align with the school’s strengths and Vietnam’s potential, including artificial intelligence, data science, semiconductors, green finance, financial technology, business administration and public health, Chau expressed his confidence that the HKU will become a strategic partner and trusted friend of Vietnam, helping advance substantive and effective cooperation projects./.
VNA
