Bangkok--19 Apr--Media and Communications Unit
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, moved closer towards establishing a satellite campus in Vietnam, with a delegation headed by the Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Hua Ngoc Thuan, offering land and “all support” to AIT to help establish a full-fledged AIT-Vietnam campus.
The eight member strong delegation from Vietnam, which visited AIT on 18 April 2011, stated that they would prepare a final proposal and complete all formalities, so that the concept of AIT satellite campus in Vietnam can be presented to the appropriate authorities. Mr. Thuan stated that an area ranging between 22-25 hectares will be available exclusively to AIT to establish a university at Ho Chi Minh City. The land demarcation follows a meeting with participants of various departments of Ho Chi Minh City. Located in the North West part of Ho Chi Minh City, the area will also host two other university campuses.
“I have already informed the Vice Prime Minister of Vietnam and the Vice Minister of Education about the proposal to partner with AIT to establish a University,” Mr. Thuang added. “We are requesting AIT to open a University in Ho Chi Minh City to help meet the human resource needs of not just our city, but also of entire Vietnam,” Mr. Thuan said, while addressing senior AIT officials.
Prof. Said Irandoust, President, AIT, while welcoming the proposal described it as “very promising.” Stating that the support of the Government of Vietnam is very important, Prof. Irandoust thanked Mr. Thuan for supporting the concept of an AIT satellite campus in his interaction with various levels of the Government in Vietnam. “With support from the Government, a strong partner from the private sector, and an institute of higher learning like AIT; we now have all the needed components to establish an AIT satellite campus in Vietnma,” Prof. Irandoust remarked.
Mr. Thuan stated that Ho Chi Minh City has been entrusted with the responsibility of creating an industrial zone. To achieve this, it is critical to address the issue of human resources, he said. While Ho Chi Minh City has a foreign university which was established in 1997, but it concentrates on languages and management. “The City needs an engineering and technology university, and we invite AIT for this purpose,” he said.
The delegation also included representatives of Portcoast Consultant Corporation, which is a key driver in the project. Portcoast and AIT are jointly engaging a consultant for evaluating the AIT-Vietnam proposal. Portcoast currently has 30 AIT alumni among its employees.
Apart from Mr. Thuan, other members of the delegation included Mr. Tran Tan Phuc, Chairman and CEO of Portcoast; Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of Northwestern Urban Area Investment and Construction Management Unit; Mr. Nguyen The Minh, Head of Culture, Sports and Tourism Section, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment; Dr. Tran Doan Tho, Advisor to the Chairman of Portcoast; Dr. Truong Ngoc Tuong, Chief Engineer and AIT alumnus; Mr. Nguyen Hong Hong; and Ms. Nguyen Tam Trinh, Financial Director, Portcoast.
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