From: Nhan Tran <tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com>
Subject: NEWS/VN: Asian Inst. of Tech. plans center in VN
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Reply-To: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com
Organization: N/A
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 13:57:17 GMT


08/25

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PLANS CENTER IN VIETNAM

HANOI (AUG. 25) PAC RIM NEWS NETWORK - The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
has finalised a master plan for an AIT Training and Research Centre in Vietnam,
which could begin operations in May next year.

The Vietnamese Government has scheduled a meeting for July 30 among the eight
government agencies involved to discuss the master plan and will submit its
counter-proposal in mid-August.

The present timetable envisages a memorandum of agreement between the AIT and
the Vietnamese Goverument being concluded by September and the training and
research centre headquartered in Hanoi opening next May.

At the same time, a management training course in the southern commercial
centre of Ho Chi Minh City, for which the AIT will act as executing agency,
will also commence next May.

Vietnam is focussing on human resources development in preparation for a
substantial international aid inflow anticipated next year when the US
Government lifts its embargo.

Vietnam has listed its priority fields for training requirements as being
economics, management, agricultural engineering, especially post- harvest and
farming systems, industrial engineering, environmental engineering and English
language training for higher education.

AIT vice-president for development Suwait Yotmanae was in Hanoi for five days
to follow up on progress of the plan for the AIT Training and Research Centre,
which will have a branch in Ho Chi Minh City.

The master plan, which was presented to high-ranking Vietnamese officials
during Dr Suwit's visit, outlines activities to be undertaken for four years,
covering aspects such as facilities, practical operation and implementation
stages.

At the end of May, the Vietnamese Government formally gave permission for the
establishment of an AIT Centre in Vietnam as an international organization and
appointed the Ministry of Education and Training as the Vietnamese counterpart.

Meanwhile, the Swiss-funded activities of the management training centre are
aimed at re-training 120 teaching staff mainly from four universities_Hanoi's
Polytechnic and Economic Universities and Ho Chi Minh City's Polytechnic and
Economic Universities over three years. The training centre will be at the Ho
Chi Minh City Polytechnic University.

The course provides for a one-year intensive diploma in business management,
with half of the people finishing the course continuing on to a Master's degree
at regional training institutions.

Though originally a bilateral project between Switzerland and Vietnam, the
project may eventually be integrated into the AIT centre in Vietnam.

The Government of Finland is expected to be the major donor for the AIT
Training and Research Centre in Hanoi and will finance renovation of the former
Ministry of Education building and give scholarships to 30 Vietnamese teaching
staff each year.

The renovation cost is estimated at US$860,000 but the AIT and Vietnam are yet
to wrap up negotiations on the issue of AIT sites in Hanoi.

While the AIT intends to conduct non-degree programmes in Hanoi over the first
four years of operation, Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has
strongly indicated its desire for degree programmes to materialise before the
four years lapse.

One senior Vietnamese official explained that Hanoi wanted to develop master's
degree education in the country by using the AIT degree course as model.

There are about 300 AIT-educated Vietnmaese working in various places
throughout the country.

Besides training activiteis, the AIT is looking into the possi- bility of
involvement in feasibility studies, with one suggestion being coastal resources
management, said Dr Suwait.

In Hanoi, Dr Suwit held talks with First Vice-Minister of Education and
Training deputy Prof Pham Minh Hac, deputy Foreign Minister Le Mai and
Vice-Minister for Agriculture and Food Industry Ngo The Dan.

>From BANGKOK POST in English