Vietnam National University of Agriculture warmly received representatives from embassies and international organizations to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2018-2019 school year.

In the morning of September 30, Vietnam National University of Agriculture solemnly held the Opening Ceremony for the 2018 - 2019 school year. The ceremony was honored to receive Party General Secretary H.E. Nguyen Phu Trong and leaders of the Party and Government, ministries, and central agencies. Attending the ceremony were Ambassadors of some countries in Hanoi, the World Bank Vietnam Country Director, and representatives of various international organizations.

Implementing the guidelines of the Party Committee, the Board of Trustees and the Presidency Board on the promotion of international cooperation, last year the university welcomed 105 delegations from 18 countries around the world, organized numerous international conferences, seminars and student exchange programs with Japan, Korea, Czech Republic, the USA, etc. In particular, the university has received more than 100 international students from Laos, Cambodia, Mozambique and Angola. It successfully got grants from the World Bank, the European Commission, the ACIAR, Ireland, etc for 10 projects. Especially, the university is one of four autonomous universities approved by the Government to implement a project with a total capital of over $ 54.2 million, commencing from 2019.

Among series of events of the opening ceremony, the university organized a singular meeting, chaired by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Trach, Vice President, with international delegates. Mr. Leonardo Rosario Manuel, Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique, Mr. Nadav Eshcar, Ambassador of Israel, Mr. Paul Jansen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium and Mr. Ousmane Dione, the World Bank Vietnam Country Director, together with agricultural and cultural counselors, and representatives of a number of embassies and international organizations from Mozambique, Israel, Belgium, Argentina, the Netherlands, Indonesia, the Economic Office and Taipei Culture, etc. took part in the meeting.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Trach opened the meeting by expressing his sincere thanks and appreciation for the presence of international delegates at the ceremony and acknowledging the support of international partners throughout the university development. He highlighted remarkable cooperation activities with partners. Priority cooperation in research and training such as exchange of students, staff, collaborative research in animal husbandry, veterinary science, food technology, economics, high-tech agriculture adapted to climate change, etc. were well informed to participants.

Ambassadors and representatives of embassies and international organizations expressed their pleasure of attending the ceremony with the participation of leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam along with leaders of ministries and sectors. They all wished to further cooperation with the university.

Mr. Paul Jansen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, said that the cooperation between the university and its Belgian partners has been maintained for more than 20 years, showing a close, efficient and sustainable cooperation. Agriculture is one of Belgium's priority strategies for Vietnam, so the ambassador expected the two sides should intensify exchanges to promote cooperation on the basis of the past achievements. Mr. Nadav Eshcar, Ambassador of Israel, emphasized the role of technology transfer cooperation between the two countries, which is meaningful and practical, especially the exchange of experts and internships program for VNUA students over the recent years. The Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique, Mr. Leonardo Rosario Manuel, thanked the university for its contribution to the training Mozambican students and wished to send more students to VNUA.

Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique, the World Bank Vietnam Country Director, 

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, Ambassador of Israel (right to left)

Mr. Ousmane Dione, the World Bank Vietnam Country Director highly appreciated the role and achievements of the university in the training and development of rural agriculture in Vietnam as well as in some countries in the region and hoped that the university would grow stronger in research and training to keep up with advanced universities in the world. He added that the university should promote internationalization through strengthening international student exchanges and attracting more international students, stimulate technology transfer and science, agricultural research programs, incubate and commercialize technologies and develop high-value, sustainable and environmental friendly agriculture contributing to ensure food security.

Mr. Ousmane Dione, the World Bank Vietnam Country Director, speaks at the meeting

The participation of international delegates at the opening ceremony of the school year 2018 - 2019 shows the interest, trust and support of international partners to the university. Hopefully, the university will continue to promote its strengths and deepen its cooperation with international partners to achieve more significant results, contributing to enhancing its position in international partners’ eyes.