Speaking at the meeting, VNU President Le Quan shared that after the visit of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam to China from August 18-20, 2024, the two sides issued a Joint Statement on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership and promoting the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future. In this context, the strengthening of cooperation in higher education and talent training between the two countries has become increasingly important.

VNU has been tasked by the leadership of the Party and the State of Vietnam with playing a leading role in the national education system through training, nurturing talents; and conducting high-quality research. Prof. Le Quan said that VNU always valued its relationship with Chinese partners and believed that this relationship would play a crucial role in helping VNU achieve its sustainable development goals. In recent years, VNU has signed cooperation agreements with tens of leading educational institutions in China, such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, Xiamen University, the University of Macau, etc. in education, research, technology transfer, and exchange of staff and students.

VNU President Le Quan advised Ambassador He Wei of VNU and Peking University exchanging a bilateral comprehensive cooperation agreement on October 13, 2024, in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. In 2025, the forum of the four major East Asian universities (BESETOHA) including VNU, Peking University, Seoul National University, and the University of Tokyo, will be resumed to carry out further academic and research activities, demonstrating the social responsibilities, capabilities, and positions of the four leading universities in the region.

According to Prof. Le Quan, VNU and Tsinghua University are conducting an Executive MBA (EMBA) program for VNU’s students and staff as well as business leaders in Vietnam. VNU considers this an excellent initiative and a great potential opportunity to concretize long-term bilateral cooperation aimed at training high-level leadership and management talents for Vietnam and the region, while also promoting academic and staff exchanges between the two universities.

VNU President Le Quan hoped that Ambassador Ha Wei and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam would always connect, support and accompany VNU in developing comprehensive cooperation with higher education institutions in China. He also hoped that the Chinese Embassy would provide scholarships for VNU faculty members and young scientists to study and exchange in China, and help promote exchange of officials between China and Vietnam. He believed that the cooperation between VNU and Chinese universities would not only contribute to the advancement of education and training but also play a key role in sustainable socio-economic development of Vietnam and China.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei was strongly impressed by the vast campus of VNU in Hoa Lac and highly appreciated the cooperation as well as the initiatives in training, research, and exchange between VNU and Chinese universities. He said that Chinese educational institutions in general, and Tsinghua University and Peking University in particular, highly valued cooperation with leading educational institutions in Vietnam like VNU. He hoped that these universities would continue to play a leading role in the national education systems of both countries through high-quality training and research.

The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China. The Party General Secretaries of both countries have designated 2025 as the "Vietnam-China Cultural Exchange Year," reflecting the high regard and expectations of the senior leaders for the development of a strong social foundation for the two nations. The Ambassador is confident that bilateral cooperation in tourism, education, and social welfare will become a symbol of the increasingly positive relationship between the two sides. He affirmed that the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam would make every effort to promote the potential of VNU and Chinese universities in training high-quality human resources, research, technology transfer, and exchange of staff and students.