A forum on tertiary education between Vietnam and Switzerland opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 19, drawing representatives from 20 Vietnamese universities as well as seven universities and 15 businesses from Switzerland .

The forum, the second of its kind, is to boost cooperation between universities and educational institutions in both countries.

It also offered a chance for educational organisations to discuss the development of private education and the necessary management skills Vietnamese students who wish to work with overseas companies need to be equipped with, in the context of increasing globalisation.

The delegates also discussed topics such as science, technology, infrastructure, finance-banking, business administration and other services.

According to a survey recently conducted by the Central Institute for Economic Management, most graduates from universities, colleges and vocational schools have yet to meet the increasing requirements of Vietnamese businesses.

To address this problem, Vietnam will draw up a national training standard, increase links between schools and the business sector, promote English language training and standardise the syllabus at tertiary education level, said the Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy.-VNA