Dear Distinguished Guests, Colleagues and Students.
It is my honour with great excitement that I welcome you to the Closing and Welcoming Ceremony of the International Credit Transfer Programs between Ho Chi Minh City Open University and Flinders University, and Bond University today.
Ho Chi Minh City Open University was founded in 1990 to meet the needs of educational transformation and improvement in educator’s knowledge and skills in Vietnam. It has officially become a public University since 2006, which provides multi-degree programs across inter-disciplinaries at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In this academic year, we celebrates its 32nd anniversary in higher education and training.
Currently, there are more than 60,000 students enrolling in mainstream, non-mainstream and distance education programs at Ho Chi Minh City Open University. The University has awarded about 40,000 bachelor’s degrees and more than 2000 master’s degrees and doctorates.
Our University is committed and dedicated to promoting a society with active learning and inclusion by offering the most flexible arrangements to students implementing the most appropriate and effective education methodologies and modes of delivery. We have been in partnership with several foreign and overseas higher education institutions and organisations to promote research, academic and cultural exchange among lecturers and students such as Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), Edith Cowan University (Australia), Berlin School of Economics and Law (Germany), ROUEN (France), and here with Flinders University and Bond University.
This Closing and Welcoming Ceremony of the International Credit Transfer Programs is a significant result of the cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City Open University and Flinders University. This is the fourth academic year for the Bachelor of Business and Commerce programs, and the second academic year for the Bachelor of Languages program. These programs allow students to undertake their study from 1,5 years to 2 years in Vietnam; and then from 1 year to 2 years in Australia. This year is also the second academic year for the program collaboration with Bond University. This cooperation has brought new opportunities for our students to pursue quality learning and experience Australian educational environment. These programs help enhance the human resources in Vietnam and may contribute to the development of Vietnamese economy in future.
2018 marked the first academic year in partnership with Flinders University, we welcomed 17 students to the Business and Commerce programs. Until now, we have welcomed nearly 80 students to enrol these international programs. Flinders University also welcomed Open University students who completed the stage 1 to Adelaide to continue their study at stage 2. In the last two years, 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected our programs and students. However, we adapted to the change and the students have put more effort in completing the stage 1. And now, they are ready to travel to Australia to experience their stage-2 programs.
Last year, in 2021, we welcomed 19 students to these programs. Proudly, they are here today to attend the Welcoming Ceremony with us. We strongly believe that all of them will be in Australia next year, after successfully completing their stage-1 programs at Open University.
I specially congratulate new students on their first year of the program and welcome them all to this important event. My special thanks go to Mr Ciaran Chestnutt, Deputy Consult-General, Australian Consulate-General HCMC, Vietnam, Mr Brett Wagner, Manager, International Partnerships, Doctor Mai Ngo, Lecturer at Flinders University, Ms. Huyền Trần, Presentative of Flinders University in Vietnam; our partner, Ms. Nhi Trần - CEO of Education Consultancy ATS and her staff; and my colleagues at Open University: academic staff, casual academic staff, parents, current and future students. Without them, the ceremony cannot be open.
I wish that all students study well and successfully complete the programs in Vietnam as well as in Australia. All the best!
Thank you very much.
Professor Nguyen Minh Ha
Rector, Ho Chi Minh City Open University
Flinders has entered into a new international partnership with Ho Chi Minh City Open University to open up new study pathways for Vietnamese students to undertake Flinders degrees.
As part of the partnership, students of the Advanced Studies Program at Ho Chi Minh City Open University will now be able to gain admission (and transfer credit) to Flinders degree programs in international business, innovation and enterprise, accounting and finance.
These programs include the Bachelor of Business (International Business), Bachelor of Business (Innovation and Enterprise), Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Commerce (Finance).
Last Tuesday 6 June, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) Sebastian Raneskold signed the partnership agreement alongside Associate Professor Nguyen Van Phuc (Rector, Ho Chi Minh City Open University) and Matt Schultz (Director, Marketing and Recruitment, International Centre, Flinders University).
The agreement helps to cement Vietnam as a leading international education market for Flinders and honours the contribution that Vietnamese alumni from Flinders have made to Vietnamese educational policy and standards since the mid-1980s.
Source: Flinders University
International programs at Open University on Flinders website
Contact
97 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone(84-8) 39309 918
Emailsas@ou.edu.vn
Fax(84-8) 3930 0085
