Trinity today signed two new agreements that would will see collaboration between the College and the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature.
The agreement was announced as part of President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins’s, state visit to Vietnam. With the partnership, Vietnamese students will spend their first two years at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and a further two years in Trinity, graduating with a Trinity Bachelor of Business Studies degree.
Speaking about the new joint venture in a press statement, Higgins said: “This Vietnamese partnership is excellent for UEH, Trinity College Dublin and for Ireland. We look forward to welcoming these Vietnamese students to our country where they will benefit from a high calibre Irish third level education from our leading university, Trinity.”
Trinity’s Vice President for Global Relations, Prof Juliette Hussey, added that Trinity is “delighted to be part of this collaboration” with the university. She went on the explain that the students will be part of the new business course with the Business School.
Also as part of the visit to Vietnam, Higgins oversaw a new agreement between the Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research and the Vietnam National Museum of Nature. The museum, which is Vietnam’s equivalent to the Natural History Museum in London, is at the forefront in the discovery of new species in Vietnam, as well as the areas of Geology, Biology, Genetics, and Sustainability.
Trinity’s new bachelor in business studies for undergraduates accepted its first intake of students – 50 international students and 25 national students – this September. The course aims to focus on business from the beginning, in contrast to the Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS) course.
“Academic excellence meets industry experience in this dynamic programme where innovation and entrepreneurship are also key components”, Hussey added.
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City is one of the largest universities in economics and business administration in Vietnam.
It is hoped that this new partnership will promote co-operation on research in areas such as botany, geography and zoology, and help in the exchange of specimens, staff and student exchange, as well as joint field work. The new relationship will also see the development of a botanic garden in Vietnam.
Trinity won a grant from the Vietnam Ireland Bilateral Exchange programme in 2016 from the Irish Embassy and as part of the Irish Aid Vietnam Programme 2017-2020. The aim of this programme is to contribute to Vietnam’s socio-economic development priorities by creating mutually beneficial links between the two countries, with particular reference to third-level education and research cooperation.
As part of this, Trinity partnered with the John Von Newmann Institute in Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh together with support from Glandore Systems, an Irish-based company in Vietnam. Glandore Systems offer services for start-up technologies.
Trinity also has a number of exchange collaborations between its School of Medicine and hospitals in Vietnam, including securing a grant, with Dr Nguyen Ngoc Quang, a Cardiologist in Hanoi, in 2008 to research and improve cardiac rehabilitation in Vietnam Each year up to ten undergraduate students in medicine and physiotherapy participate in elective clinical placements in Vietnam.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan TD, was also in attendance at the signing ceremony for the partnership, which was organised by Enterprise Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Hanoi.
