Geneva (VNA) - A delegation of representatives from the Vietnamese localities of Bac Lieu, Hue, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, and Vinh Long held a meeting on June 11 with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), one of Switzerland’s leading universities of applied sciences and arts.
At the meeting, Nguyen Thi Ai Van, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hue city, expressed the city’s interest in strengthening educational cooperation with FHNW.
She proposed several specific areas of collaboration, such as facilitating student, lecturer and researcher exchange programmes, particularly with Hue University, and providing scholarships for students in fields including sustainable development, arts and design, tourism management, and urban planning.
She also voiced a hope for joint research projects on heritage preservation, innovation management, digital government, public governance, climate adaptation, and the development of creative industries. Additionally, she called for connecting FHNW's innovation hubs with Hue’s startup ecosystem, particularly in sustainable tourism and culture-based startup.
She suggested both sides organise student exhibitions and art projects to promote mutual understanding and cultural exchanges.
Marco Casanova, a FHNW representative, highlighted the university's existing cooperation with several Vietnamese universities and expressed a hope to welcome more Vietnamese students in the future.
During the meeting, Dr Teresa Freiburghaus of FHNW presented an overview of Switzerland’s education system and the role of the university, which is one of the five largest public institutions in Switzerland and ranks among the top 500 universities in Europe.
FHNW is engaged in training and research partnerships with around 400 institutions worldwide and currently has 12,419 students, including international students. Each year, the university secures around 100 million Swiss francs in funding for innovative research projects from industry and corporate partners. Its collaborations include training programmes with institutions in Vietnam.
The meeting at FHNW was part of a working trip jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the participating localities./.
VNA
