On May 21st, 2025, Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son - Vice President of the University of Danang (UD) hosted a meeting with Ms. Banh Pham Ngoc Van - Director of Education New Zealand in Vietnam (ENZ), along with representatives from several prominent New Zealand universities: Auckland University of Technology, Lincoln University, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, and University of Waikato.

The meeting was also attended by leaders from relevant UD departments (Personnel Management, Academic Affairs and Educational Quality Assurance, Science and International Cooperation) and representatives from the Science and International Cooperation offices of UD’s member schools, including the University of Economics, the University of Foreign Language Studies, and the Vietnam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education.

Speaking to the New Zealand delegation, Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son extended a warm welcome and expressed his pleasure at the opportunity to strengthen mutual understanding and foster cooperation between UD and New Zealand’s leading universities.

The UD leadership representative introduced their partners to an overview of UD as a multi-disciplinary regional university, ranked among the top universities in Vietnam, comprising six member universities along with affiliated schools, institutes, and faculties.

UD offers a wide range of academic programs to meet the country’s development needs, with nearly 100 programs accredited to international standards (CTI, ASIIN, AUN-QA). UD’s member schools are actively promoting various international joint training programs, including full and partial English-medium instruction.

These initiatives provide opportunities for member and affiliated units to connect and collaborate in faculty and student exchanges, joint degrees, and transfer programs (such as 3+1, 2+2 undergraduate and postgraduate pathways, the Master’s in Human Resource Management in partnership with Massey University, and the joint Master’s in TESOL between the University of Foreign Language Studies - UD and Victoria University of Wellington).

Ms. Banh Pham Ngoc Van – Director of ENZ, expressed her gratitude for the warm reception and the opportunity for both sides to discuss needs and strengths, paving the way for educational and research collaboration.

ENZ representatives highly valued UD’s reputation and academic standing, affirming a shared commitment to building on established relationships and early successes to achieve more sustainable and effective cooperation in the new era.

They highlighted that educational cooperation is a cornerstone of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand, with a focus on academic and research exchanges, student mobility, and advanced faculty training under initiatives such as Project 89, contributing to higher education internationalization and integration.

Ms. Banh Pham Ngoc Van also shared insights into the unique features and development needs of New Zealand’s higher education sector, which includes several universities ranked among the world’s top 500 (according to Times Higher Education). She emphasized that quality remains a key factor for New Zealand, consistently ranked among the top English-speaking countries, equipping students with essential knowledge and skills for global employability, especially in technology, IT, business, and marketing.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged ideas and proposed solutions to leverage opportunities, maximize potential, and promote international joint training, postgraduate education, and capacity building for academic and research staff.

In addition to attracting Vietnamese faculty and students to study in New Zealand, the partners also encourage New Zealand students to study abroad, including in Vietnam - a dynamic ASEAN nation - through government scholarships such as the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia.

With favorable policies to attract talented international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a strong emphasis on linking research with commercialization, New Zealand universities see significant opportunities to expand cooperation with UD’s member schools in the near future.

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