The meeting also saw the attendance of representatives from the University of Southampton, which is ranked among the world’s top 100 universities by QS World Rankings and Navitas, a leading global education group.
Long stressed that education and training play a vital role in advancing the bilateral ties, especially as the two nations are preparing to mark the 15th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2025. He described educational cooperation as a “bright spot” and called on the UK to further strengthen institutional linkages and scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students.
The Deputy PM noted that bilateral trust and cooperation have become increasingly comprehensive and profound in recent years, and suggested that the UK’s continued support could play a valuable role in helping Viet Nam advance its goal of making English a second language.
Frew shared a similar view, emphasising that education has long been a central element of the UK – Viet Nam relations. He pointed to the presence of 12,000 Vietnamese students currently studying at British institutions as a reflection of the strong ties in this area, and highlighted the expanding opportunities for collaboration across a range of educational fields from general and vocational training to English-language education.
The ambassador also applauded Viet Nam’s human capital development efforts, citing four key Politburo resolutions, especially Resolution 57 on driving breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Viet Nam in enhancing education quality and expanding access to scholarships.
A representative from the University of Southampton expressed appreciation for Viet Nam’s regulatory openness to international education institutions and shared plans to boost collaboration in the country’s higher education sector.
Long reiterated Viet Nam’s strategic focus on institutional reforms, infrastructure development, and humans, particularly the training of a high-quality workforce. He noted that Viet Nam aims to host at least two more branch campuses of world-class universities by 2030 and become a regional hub for international education.
He welcomed Southampton’s interest in establishing partnerships and encouraged targeted cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, innovation, digital transformation, and science and technology.
