Charles Darwin University (CDU) recently played host to two separate government delegations from Vietnam.
The delegations were coordinated by the Northern Territory Government’s Asian Relations and Trade Division, Department of the Chief Minister and hosted at CDU by the International Office and Vice Chancellor’s Office.
The first delegation comprised a group from Vietnam’s National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA). NAPA is responsible for training all Vietnamese government employees.
The visit was a response to an exploratory NT Government trade mission to Vietnam in March 2007 in which the CDU International Office participated. The NAPA group spent five days in Darwin including a full day at CDU where they met with relevant academics to discuss possible future collaborations including a capacity building project targeting regional Vietnamese government employees.
The group also had the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive tour of the Casuarina Campus including North Flinders International House and the ACL/CDU English Language Centre.
The second delegation, comprising representatives from the Phuong Nam Company, a Vietnamese government group of companies, was accompanied by the Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia the Hon. Mr Nguyen Thanh Tan.
Mr Tan had previously visited Darwin in March and was so impressed with the city that he recommended the Phuong Nam Company visit Darwin and CDU. The group met with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Helen Garnett, to discuss English language, vocational and technical education and higher education options for Vietnamese government personnel.
The International Office has a marketing and recruitment mission planned for Vietnam in July, and will conduct follow-up visits with key representatives from both delegations.