The “Training on Project Design and Management” workshop in the framework of the “Strengthening the Internationalization of Vietnamese Emerging Universities” project was organized by the Institute for Partnership Development at Phu Xuan University on December 9-10, 2024. It gathered participants from Europe and Vietnam to share experiences and best practices. European project members included representatives of the AlmaLaurea University Consortium, Italy – coordinator, University of Évora, Portugal, and University of Tuscia, Italy – online. The Vietnamese representatives came from the project partner institutions: Hanoi University, Vietnam Coordinator of the project, National Academy of Public Administration, Quang Ninh University of Industry, and other invited universities and institutes.
In the welcome speech, Dr. Ho Thi Hanh Tien, the Director of Institute for Partnership Development at Phu Xuan University, emphasized how important the workshop was. She added that it had not been a workshop just to exchange contacts and ideas but, in fact, showed the shared vision of members to create knowledge, provide solutions, and contribute much to society on a national and international level.
During these two efficient days, the participants received training in project design and management for CBHE, focusing on enhancing the internationalization of Vietnamese Higher Education. There were discussions on the assessment of the project’s progress, setting future directions, and laying the ground for sustainable educational initiatives. Major activities within the workshop included the introduction of the proposed Virtual Internationalization Center to connect universities inside and outside of Vietnam. Besides the training design on program design and quality management, there was partnership development, effective communication, and agreement management. The supporting tools towards internationalization include a student and faculty portal; metrics of internationalization performance; a partnership connectivity platform; and strategies for sustainable collaboration and risk management.
The next workshop and project meeting under STRIVE are scheduled to be held in Portugal in March 2025, in preparation for the budget and brainstorming strategies to be adopted for the CBHE initiatives.