At least 11 agreements on investment co-operation in the educational field were reached between local and foreign partners during the Forum on Investment and Cooperation in Education which was held on October 16 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The forum saw over 200 delegates from relevant ministries, embassies and foreign organisations in Vietnam take part, aiming to introduce educational policies, enhance co-operation between local and foreign partners, and encourage foreign investors to promote the international integration of the Vietnamese educational sector.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc emphasised that Vietnam has always focused on increasing international education co-operation as internationalisation of education becomes a global trend.

At present Vietnam has established educational co-operative ties with over 100 countries and territories globally and has become an active member of international educational organisations.

As of December 31, 2019, the country had over 500 valid foreign investment co-operation projects in the field of education, capitalized at over US$4.4 billion.

Most notably, Phuc added that the international integration policy has helped improve the overall quality of education and training, elevating the country’s rankings in relation to global education standards.

A total of three Vietnamese institutions were ranked among the top 1,000 higher education institutions worldwide, while eight educational organisations were also listed among the group consisting of the 500 top universities throughout Asia.

In addition, Vietnamese students have achieved high scores at international and regional competitions, raising their rankings as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Deputy Minister Phuc expressed his hope that in the near future, there will be more educational institutions established by domestic and foreign investors locally. He also affirmed that Vietnam has pledged to create the optimal conditions possible for investors in the education sector.

Dante Brandi of the Italian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City noted Italy represents a strategic, qualitative, and dedicated partner for Vietnam in education, adding that the Southern European nation first opened the Uni Italia office in Vietnam in 2013 to promote and support co-operation in education.

The Italian diplomat went on to highlight recent Vietnamese incentive policies in the sector, saying the Italian embassy and Consulate General are willing to fully support potential partners in strengthening connectivity and seeking partners in an effort to achieve effective co-operation.

During the event, representatives from universities and educational organisations also underscored the importance of Industry 4.0 and its impact on Vietnam’s tertiary education by deploying a pilot model to apply a range of digital technologies in education.

Cable car system to be built in Co To Island

Co To Island

A cable car system will be built to link two islands in the northern province of Quang Ninh’s Co To District for tourism development.

Under the general planning of Co To District’s construction by 2040 and a vision until 2050, Quang Ninh Province will develop the district into a major eco-tourism destination.   

Besides tourism services, Co To will also focus on sci-tech research and fishing logistics activities.

According to the planning, a cable car system will be constructed to connect Co To and Thanh Lan islands.

Currently, Thanh Lan is among communes in Co To District which has great potential for tourism development, including luxury services. An aquarium is expected to take shape in the south of Thanh Lan Island.

The district will reserve land for an airport project.

Children to gain comprehensive development through nutrition education

It is vital to teach children about balanced diets whilst giving them necessary education on nutrition in order to allow them to develop healthy eating habits that can ultimately contribute to their comprehensive development. 

Allowing young people to follow a development plan is a primary factor in why it is of paramount importance to educate primary school pupils on nutrition knowledge. As such, many boarding primary schools are following the motto of the “Three minutes to change awareness” poster, which has been devised by the School Meal Project for Nutrition Education for Pupils. The project has been implemented since 2012 by the Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with the National Institute of Nutrition, the Ministry of Health, and Ajinomoto Vietnam.

The campaign is based on the nutrition education method used for children in Japan. The “Three minutes to change awareness” poster has been vividly and comprehensibly designed to feature basic nutrition information of foods, including their vitamin, mineral composition, and corresponding functions.

The poster also serves to illustrate nutrition knowledge by showing images of foods and their essential micronutrient composition.

Before lunchtime, teachers must inform pupils of that day’s lunch menu, with one type of food being selected for its nutritional information, whilst its benefits are to be emphasised. For example, for a dish such as “mackerel braised with pineapple and tomatoes”, teachers can choose to discuss the nutrition knowledge of either mackerel or tomato.

The following day, teachers and pupils will review previous knowledge and choose a new type of food to continue the exploration. From the poster, teachers are able to flexibly arrange interactive activities such as quizzes and games for pupils to learn in a fun environment and therefore absorb knowledge in a more efficient way.

Sharing her thoughts on the poster, Nguyen Thi Nga, a teacher of Dong Hoa B primary school in Binh Duong province, said, “After using the poster, most pupils in my class have better understanding of foods’ roles in health. They have been eating foods that they previously don’t like such as vegetables, fish, mushrooms, and the amount of leftovers has also decreased significantly.”

The nutrition knowledge accumulated each day from the School Meal Project’s poster and videos helps children to eat a variety of foods instead of favourites like eggs, pork, and chicken.

Most notably, the “Three minutes to change awareness” poster can be viewed for free at: http://bit.do/3phutthaydoinhanthuc.

Throughout the year, the release of nutrition food-related video clips has been designed to support schools in terms of nutrition education. For example, nutrition information and dietary functions of tomatoes are introduced through a video. The video also offers pupils an insight into basic English vocabulary that can be used for their foreign language learning process.

The School Meal Project also introduces a nutrition-balanced menu development software, an important tool which offers a menu bank of 120 set menus, including over 360 different dishes for lunch. Each menu is nutritionally balanced for children of different age groups and specifically customised for different tastes of each Vietnamese region, including north, central, and south.

This is a powerful tool by which schools can standardise their menus while bringing tasty and nutritionally balanced lunches to pupils nationwide.

Indonesia to host 2022 global platform for disaster risk reduction

Indonesia is set to host the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) on Bali resort island on May 23-28, 2022, announced Indonesian President Joko Widodo on a virtual meeting on October 15.

The event is expected to bring together 7,000 delegates from 190 countries and territories. It will discuss and evaluate the latest developments and trends in disaster management.

It is envisioned to facilitate recovery of the tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic, Widodo said.

In addition, the country aims to utilise the momentum presented through the global event to promote Indonesia’s role in mitigate risks posed by natural disasters.

The President also ordered thorough preparation for the holding of the event.

Head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo said about 5.5 million USD may be needed for organising the event. The sum was proposed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction./.

Central city boosts manpower supply for Japan

A Japanese lecturer teaches nursing skills to Vietnamese students during a practical session at Đông Á college in Đà Nẵng. Photo courtesy Phương Chi

Japanese professor Yasuhiro Yamada has been appointed the representative of the Đà Nẵng-based Đông Á College in Tokyo, Japan to boost education co-operation between central Việt Nam and Japan.

Vice-rector of Đông Á College, Lương Minh Sâm, confirmed the appointment to Việt Nam News, saying his was the first college in central Việt Nam to establish a representative office abroad.

He said professor Yamada had experience as chairman of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) offices in Hà Nội, Paris, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Việt Nam in the past years.

Sâm opening a representative office in Japan was part of the strategic education programme to tackle the labour deficiency in Japan, while improving basic knowledge and skills for Vietnamese students by studying and working in Japan.

The college has inked co-operation deals with four universities and 72 businesses in Japan in education and manpower supply, and other partners in Germany, Singapore, Taiwan (China) and South Korea.

It plans to send 3,000 graduates of 15 industries including hospitality, hotel, restaurant, business management, information technology, control and automation, automobile engineering, and electronics to work in Asia, Europe and Japan in 2025.

Yokohama, Japan began recruiting nursing graduates from the college to work at medical centres in Japan from 2019.

Đông Á College is the only education centre in central Việt Nam supplying human resources for the Japanese labour market. 

Health ministry launches action month on excess cholesterol prevention

The Ministry of Health has launched an action month on prevention of excess cholesterol in the body as part of the national strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for the 2015-2025 period.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in Hà Nội on Friday, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn said that excess cholesterol caused cardiovascular diseases, one of NCDs that are the leading cause of death globally.

“In Việt Nam, NCDs are the leading cause of death. For every 10 deaths, seven people die from NCDs, focusing on diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease,” said Sơn.

In 2016, there were 548,800 deaths, of which 77 per cent were caused by NCDs in Việt Nam. For every 10 cardiovascular patients, three have high cholesterol levels and more than half of women aged 50-69 have high cholesterol, according to Sơn.

It is estimated that Việt Nam yearly has an average of 12.5 million people with hypertension, 3.5 million people with diabetes, 2 million people with chronic heart and lung disease and nearly 126,000 new cases of cancer and mental disorders, according to the health ministry.

Experts said that globalization, urbanisation and environmental change were factors that increase unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, abuse of alcohol and beer, inadequate eating and physical inactivity. And it is these risk factors that lead to the development of NCDs, including excess cholesterol. The rate of excess cholesterol in Việt Nam was high, mainly derived from sedentary lifestyles, especially inadequate dietary and unbalanced nutritional habits of Vietnamese people.

The action month aims to promote the prevention of NCDs in Việt Nam. During the month, the Ministry of Health will focus activities on strengthening communication and health education in the community and management of NCDs from the grassroots level. Free communication, consultation and testing sessions for people will be held in five provinces and cities and 15 hospitals across the country.

Health experts suggested measures to reduce excess cholesterol, including minimising eating and drinking high cholesterol foods; adding beneficial fats from sea fishes and vegetable oils to daily diet, practising a healthy lifestyle; increasing physical activities such as regular exercise (walking, cycling, swimming); and giving up smoking or limiting alcoholic drinks. 

Nutrition and Development Week calls for better diets and exercises

The National Institute of Nutrition has raised warnings about malnutrition problems among children and adult alike caused by unhealthy lifestyles.

In response to the World Food Day on October 16, the Ministry of Health launched the Nutrition and Development Week from October 16 to 23.

Vietnam has many achievements in nutrition and health. The number of malnourished children has dropped significantly and the quality of people’s food has improved. The rate of underweight children below five years old dropped by 30.1% in 2000 to 12.2% in 2019.

However, Vietnam still has to face various problems like stunting malnutrition which affected 22.4% of the children in 2019. This rate is highest in northern mountainous areas at 27.1% and the Central Highlands at 29.8%.

Meanwhile, children in urban areas are facing obesity problems. According to the survey conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition from 2017 to 2018 with 5,000 students from 75 secondary and high schools in Vietnam, the obesity rate among children was 29%. This rate in rural areas was 17.8% and 41.9% in the urban areas.

Unhealthy diets and lack of exercise are the main causes of obesity. The Ministry of Health's survey on risk factors for non-communicable diseases in 2015 showed that 57.2% of the adults from 18 to 69 ate very few vegetables and fruits. Salt consumption was 10 grams per person per day, double the WHO's recommendation. 28.1% of them exercised less than 150 minutes a week.

As a result, more and more people suffer from non-communicable diseases.

According to WHO in Vietnam, in 2017, of the 541,000 people that died in Vietnam, 76% died due to non-communicable diseases. Heart diseases, diabetes and cancer were among the top causes of death.

More young Vietnamese people contract heart problems

Vietnam has seen a higher rate of local young people with heart problems and high blood pressure, according to the Vietnam Heart Association.

The Vietnam Heart Association is organising the 17th Vietnam National Congress of Cardiology. At the online event, Dr Pham Manh Hung, deputy head of the association and head of Vietnam National Heart Institute, said that up to 20% of Vietnamese aged below 40 are facing high blood pressure. The disease previously only largely affected elderly people.  

Dr Pham Manh Hung at the 17th Vietnam National Congress of Cardiology

Heart-related problems have been detected among people aged between 25 and 40, Hung added, noting that alcohol, smoking, being overweight, a sedentary lifestyle and stress were among major causes.

Up to 25% of the Vietnamese population is struggling with cardiac issues.

According to Hung, heart disease is responsible for the highest rate of death and disability.

The World Health Organisation reported that up to 17.5 million people across the world die of heart problems every year.

Vietnam spends over US$752 million on Covid-19 fight 

The government has set aside VND12.57 trillion (US$542.2 million) to support 12.65 million people directly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of September 24, the Vietnamese government has spent VND17.49 trillion (US$752.5 million) to aid the Covid-19 fight and support people affected by the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Upon breaking down, nearly VND4.92 trillion (US$212.2 million) was spent to cover various expenses for health workers, staff and people undergoing mass quarantine, while another VND12.57 trillion (US$542.2 million) was spent to support 12.65 million people directly hit by the Covid19 pandemic.

Additionally, nearly 16,200 tons of rice from national reserves were allocated to people in provinces and cities hit by natural disasters.

In the first nine months of 2020, state budget revenue stood at VND975.3 trillion (US$42.4 billion), equivalent to 64.5% of the estimate and down 11.5% year-on-year. This included VND812.4 trillion (US$35.04 billion) in domestic revenue, meeting 64.3% of the year's estimate and down 8.3% year-on-year.

Additionally, revenue from crude oil suffered a sharp decline of 36.9% year-on-year to VND27.5 trillion (US$118.6 million), fulfilling 78.2% of the year's plan, and customs revenue declined 20.1% to VND134.55 trillion (US$580.4 million), or 64.7% of the estimate.

On the contrary, state budget expenditures totaled VND1,113.7trillion (US$48.04 billion), or 63.7% of the year's estimate, an up 8.1% year-on-year. Of the sum, capital expenditure was equivalent to 57.2% of the estimate, higher than the disbursed amount of the same period last year, but lower than expected.

The government also spent nearly VND80.7 trillion (US$3.48 billion) in debt payment, or 68.3% of the estimate and down 5.6% year-on-year, as well as VND756.9 trillion (US$32.65 billion) for regular spending, or 71.6% of the estimate, up 3.2%.

In the year to September 25, the MoF issued nearly VND223.34 trillion (US$9.63 billion) worth of government bonds.

Practical activities honour Vietnamese women

A programme, themed “Mother and Soldier’ Heart”, officially opened at Vietnam Women's Museum in Hanoi on October 16, featuring a wide variety of practical activities.
The event was part of activities to mark Vietnam Women's Day and celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union (October 20, 1930-2020).

The programme consists of three main activities including an exhibition themed “Mother”, a ceremony to grant artifacts of former soldiers and a signing ceremony marking the cooperation agreement between Vietnam Women’s Museum and the “Soldier’ Heart” Club.

The exhibition “Mother” displays 90 photos on Vietnamese mothers across the country taken by journalist and photographer Tran Hong.

Divided into three main parts, the exhibits highlight the beauty, efforts and happiness of Vietnamese mothers across different generations.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum held a ceremony to receive documents and artifacts, such as diaries, photos, postcards, handwritten letters and personal belongings, from former soldiers or relatives of fallen soldiers.

These artifacts will recall the youth of people who devoted their lives to the national revolution.

The signing of the cooperation agreement between the Museum and the “Soldier’s Heart” Club is expected to contribute to the collection of meaningful and valuable stories and material documenting both war and peace.

The Soldier’s Heart Club is a forum on facebook formed by Veteran Writer, Colonel Dang Vuong Hung, aiming to taking full advantage of the social network to collect and preserve artefacts and human values related to the history and tradition of all veterans.

Developing high-quality human resources

Globalisation is an inevitable trend in the world, bringing many opportunities for the country as well as creating favourable conditions for the strong development of organisations and businesses and for people to become “global citizens”.

In addition, the rapid boom and development of information, technology and science have created many opportunities and challenges for the development of high-quality human resources according to international standards.

Vietnam is in the middle of a huge digital transformation in its development. Therefore, care for and training of global citizens will be one of the values contributing to improving competitiveness and sustainable development. Accordingly, “Made in Vietnam” global citizen resources focus on sustainability based in brave and intellectual Vietnamese people and helping them to overcome various global challenges in this era of international integration. Vietnam has signed 13 free trade agreements (FTA), of which 12 are already in effect. Vietnam’s participation in FTAs has helped the country’s economy maintain its high growth of 6% - 7% per year; increasingly stabilising the macro-economy; and controlling the inflation. In addition to their advantages, the FTAs, especially new-generation, high-standard and comprehensive agreements (such as the CPTPP and EVFTA) have created challenges, especially in term of competitiveness.

Vietnam has faced obstacles in its implementation of commitments in new sectors. Meanwhile, the employment field has undergone profound changes due to the impacts of climate change, population aging, epidemics and especially the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the development of human resources is considered key to improving labour productivity and the competitiveness of Vietnam in particular and the region in general.

In order to realise the goal of developing high quality human resources according to international standards, first of all, the responsibility belongs to universities, training institutions and human resources departments. According to educational experts, the three factors that make up a measure of a person's ability are knowledge, skills and attitude. Vietnam is proud of the many talented people who have been honoured by the world. However, in general, the country is still in a situation of wasting manpower. Labour experts and trade unions said that in order to study and work in all countries around the world, Vietnamese employees should be good at foreign languages, knowledge, skills, health and working attitudes as well as study in the culture of their host countries. However, the foreign language skills of Vietnamese people are ranked low globally. In addition, practical skills of Vietnamese workers are still weak because training in the country has only focused on theory.

Therefore, it is crucial to set out appropriate policies to guide social resources to overcome the challenges and difficulties in the development of global citizen-oriented human resources in the digital economy. The finances for human resources should be maintained; meanwhile, the socialisation and mobilisation of capital sources for human resource development should be enhanced. It is also essential to strongly innovate education and training towards the implementation of autonomous mechanisms for education and training institutions, while focusing on improving foreign language and living skills and the attitudes of global citizens. The relevant agencies and organisations, especially vocational schools, need to develop training programmes and methods in accordance with international standards. Education regarding and the regular update of international laws, of potential countries where many Vietnamese workers and employees are working is key. Physical education should also be strengthened to raise people’s health as well as boosting the linkages among training institutions and enterprises in training staff.

Source: VNN/VNA/VOV/VNS/Dtinews/SGGP/SGT