On April 22, 2026, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Toan, Vice President of the University of Da Nang (UD), hosted a meeting with a delegation from the Graduate School of the National University of Singapore (NUS), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Caroline Lee, Vice Dean of the Graduate School.

Attendees also included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Phuc - President of the UD Trade Union; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lee Khooi Cheng - Director, Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), NUS; Mr. Sazali Johari - Programme Director, NUS Enterprise; Mr. Edgar Tai - Senior Manager, Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS); Mr. Ryan Goh - Deputy Head of International Cooperation, School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE), NUS; along with representatives from the University Board of UD-DUE, UD-VNUK, UD-AIST; and leadership representatives from relevant departments of UD, as well as the Science and International Cooperation Departments of  UD-DUE, UD-UFLS, UD-VNUK.

At the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Toan, Vice President of UD, extended a warm welcome and expressed his pleasure to receive and work with the delegation from NUS, a prestigious institution ranked among the top universities in the region and globally.

Introducing the delegation to an overview of UD, particularly highlighting the milestones, opportunities, and challenges that accompany UD's honor of being selected as one of the four key universities designated as models for the Vietnamese higher education system, the UD representative shared mutual interests and discussed potential directions for cooperation in education and research between the two institutions.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Manh Toan noted that, building upon the previous meeting between UD President Nguyen Ngoc Vu and NUS leadership, the two sides have reached a consensus on key orientations to prioritize cooperation, particularly in postgraduate training in key disciplines and strategic areas, as well as the exchange of scholars, scientists, experts, lecturers, students, master's students, and doctoral candidates.

Given the geographical proximity between Da Nang and Singapore, facilitated by direct flights, there is significant potential and ample room to develop a strategic partnership. The UD representative expressed a desire to sign a cooperation agreement soon, meeting the needs and trends of the ongoing internationalization of higher education.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Caroline Lee, Vice Dean of the Graduate School at the National University of Singapore (NUS), this working session aims to enhance mutual understanding, strengthen connections, and foster bilateral cooperation. The objective is to move toward the signing of a formal cooperation agreement, with a core focus on postgraduate education, scientific research, and the exchange of faculty and students.

The NUS representative expressed sincere gratitude to the leadership of UD and its member institutions for their warm and gracious welcome. During the session, the NUS delegation introduced their postgraduate programs in several key fields, including: Semiconductor Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Technology, Biotechnology. Furthermore, the delegation discussed the potential for articulated training pathways (such as 3+1 and 1+3 models) and explored strategies for establishing English as a second language within educational institutions.

In an atmosphere of mutual understanding and openness, leadership representatives from UD and NUS shared their visions and common perspectives. Both sides reached a consensus on the key content to pave the way for an early signing of a formal cooperation agreement, which will serve as a foundation for a sustainable, long-term, substantive, and effective partnership.

The UD leadership expressed high appreciation and sincere gratitude to NUS for creating favorable conditions, admitting, and awarding scholarships to UD faculty and students. To ensure effective implementation, UD has tasked its Department of Science and International Cooperation to act as the focal point, connecting representatives from its member universities to coordinate with the NUS Graduate School. This will facilitate the promotion of bilateral cooperation in accordance with the strategic directions agreed upon by the leadership of both institutions.

UD Media