The European Union Delegation to Vietnam (EUD) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) of Vietnam organised the Erasmus+ Days event held on October 22-23, part of the European Higher Education Week (EHEW). This flagship initiative was implemented under the EU Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy in Vietnam to promote the European Union as a partner for sustainable development on skills development. The event was officially opened by the Vice President of the European Commission, H.E. Mr Margaritis Schinas, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam H.E. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc.
The Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association (EMA) was invited to
participate in a panel discussion on European Union Alumni Networks and Associations moderated by Dr Tatas Brotosudarmo, Regional Coordinator of EURAXESS ASEAN. Panellists included Mr Dinh Khac Dong, President of the European Union Alumni Network in Vietnam; Ms Nguyen Minh Chau, former President of Sweden Alumni Network Vietnam; Ms Uswa Alhamid, former Head of Communication of OCEANS Network; and Dr Collins Santhanasamy, EMA's Director of Partnership Development Unit.
The panellists spoke and interacted with the audience on various topics, including the role of student and alumni networks in the Erasmus+ ecosystem, the challenges that lie ahead, and the importance of strategic partnerships in navigating Erasmus+ opportunities.
The event welcomed more than 100 Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) interested in Erasmus+ and nearly 50 HEIs from European Union member states to Vietnam for the first time. The objectives of this event were to promote EU-Vietnam cooperation in higher education, especially the Erasmus+ programme, create a network to establish new partnerships for both Vietnamese and European HEIs and encourage new proposals for the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 cycle.
Vietnam has performed well in different key actions within Erasmus+ and currently leads Asia with 96 projects involving 91 Vietnamese HEIs in Capacity Building in higher education during the 2015-2024 cycle. Vietnam is also among the top Asian countries in International Credit Mobility, sending over 3,400 students and staff to Europe for short-term exchanges between 2015 and 2023. This year, Vietnam has 54 recipients of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, the highest number of national awardees in its history and ranking No. 14 worldwide!
EMA’s 2023 Ambassador of the Year, Mr Manh Ha Luong, who recently ended his service as EMA’s Country Representative for Vietnam, also organized a social event for Erasmus alumni to meet with the panellists, network with each other, and brainstorm ideas for upcoming national-level activities. He also engaged with several national-level stakeholders in various side meetings.
Some programs included the European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR), the Erasmus Mundus Masters Program in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP), Erasmus Mundus Journalism, and the Erasmus Mundus in Social Work with Families and Children (MFAMILY).
If you are interested in connecting with EMA in Vietnam, please contact Ms Linh Tran, Country Representative for Vietnam, at vietnam@em-a.eu. For partnership enquiries, please contact Collins at partnership@em-a.eu.
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