The IAEA and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) signed an agreement in Vienna to foster cooperation in developing a national infrastructure for higher level nuclear education and training. On 18 September 2012, the Practical Arrangements were concluded between Mr. Alexander Bychkov, IAEA Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy, and Ambassador Nguyen Ba-Son, Permanent Representative of Vietnam in Austria, who signed on behalf of MOET. The Minister of Science and Technology of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Quan also participated in the ceremony.
The objectives of the arrangements are to facilitate the implementation and use of innovative resources for education, training and outreach in the nuclear field, including e-learning, in order to foster capacity building through knowledge transfer in Vietnam.
Under the ambit of this agreement, the IAEA will collaborate with MOET in the development and provision of material relevant to nuclear education, training and outreach for the educational and training institutions in Vietnam and will also promote nuclear knowledge management at the educational and training institutions in Vietnam.
"I believe that these Practical Arrangements will assist MOET in providing the young generation and nuclear professionals with more opportunities and resources for education and training including, e-learning, and in securing an adequate workforce to support a safe and sustainable nuclear power programme," says Alexander Bychkov.
Background
Vietnam is one of the newcomer countries to nuclear energy development programmes. MOET is the government ministry responsible for the governance of general/academic education and of higher education and training in Vietnam. MOET has been addressing the national needs for human resource development to support the national programme of nuclear power development. Under the supervision of MOET, several State universities - and also the electric power company and some research and training centres - are striving to provide a higher level of nuclear education and training to attract and foster young nuclear professionals .
Various support activities, such as knowledge management assist visits, are being provided through integrated master plans under the IAEA's technical cooperation programme and bilateral partnerships.