By: Staff Writer
August 25, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka and Vietnam have signed an Education Cooperation Agreement aimed at fostering the exchange of information on development and innovation, enhancing collaboration between universities and academic institutions, and facilitating academic exchanges, collaborative research, and scholarships for students.
The agreement, signed by Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Prof. Nguyen Van Phuc, and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis, will be in effect from 2024 to 2026.
Initially established in 1999, the agreement has been periodically renewed, serving as a key framework for promoting educational and training collaboration, especially benefiting Sri Lankan students, researchers, and academics. The signing took place at the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi, according to a statement from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Vietnam.
During the ceremony, Minister Nguyen Van Phuc underscored the critical role of education in a country’s socio-economic development, regardless of its status as a developing or advanced nation.
He highlighted the importance Vietnam places on education, which has been instrumental in the country’s significant economic transformation over the past two decades. Vietnam now attracts over USD 30 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and exports more than USD 360 billion annually, largely due to its skilled and adaptable workforce.
Ambassador Mendis, in his remarks, praised Vietnam’s rapid economic transformation, noting the remarkable increase in GDP per capita from USD 90 in 1990 to USD 4,500 today. He also expressed admiration for the English proficiency of Vietnam’s younger generation, which he views as a positive sign for the country’s future.
Dr. Mendis concluded by recalling the wisdom of Confucius, stating that “Education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope, and hope breeds peace.”
The Sri Lankan delegation included Minister Counsellor Kethma Rajapaksa Yapa and other officials from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Hanoi, while the Vietnamese delegation was led by Director General Nguyen Thi Thanh Minh and senior officials from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training.
Viet Nam has extended a number of opportunities and scholarships to Sri Lankan students to study in Viet Nam and with the passage of time, it hopes to witness greater fostering and nurturing of students as well as universities.
Ambassador Mendis, enunciated that one of the compelling and cogent reasons for Viet Nam to be amongst the fastest growing economies in the world was due to its sound education structure.
This is one of the reasons that Viet Nam could attract and woo foreign investments and manufacturing outsourcing in an unprecedented manner during the last couple of decades, thus being described by economists and political thinkers as “China Plus One” and “Miracle on Mekong Region”.
