Waikato University develops links with Vietnam

Media Release

Waikato University develops links with Vietnam

University of Waikato

25 July 2005

A high-level government delegation from Vietnam is in Hamilton this week to develop a partnership with the University of Waikato which could see Waikato graduate linguistics courses offered in Vietnam.

Associate Professor Dr Do Huy Thinh, Director of the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), Regional Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Mr Than Trong Minh, Head of English Language Teaching are visiting the University from 24-27 August.

The Vietnamese delegation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the University on Monday 25 July.

The visitors will discuss a proposal for the University's Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Linguistics to be taught in Vietnam next year.

Teaching a graduate qualification overseas represents a new direction for the University. Face-to-face teaching in Vietnam would be complemented by electronic learning tools such as web-conferencing, a digital library and video-conferencing.

Pro Vice-Chancellor International Prof. Shayne Quick says the visit illustrates the strong reputation Waikato University has abroad. "Being approached to offer a graduate programme overseas shows that Waikato University's expertise is in demand and internationally-respected," he says.

"South East Asian countries' needs are moving beyond introductory English language courses and have become more sophisticated. A graduate linguistics programme will help Vietnamese students attain quite a sophisticated level of English literacy. This is a specialised area, and the University of Waikato is one of the few centres with the required expertise."

SEAMEO represents eleven South-East Asian countries and seven associate countries, of which New Zealand is one.

ENDS

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