Several higher education institutions are beginning to focus on "importing" training technology through lecturer exchange programs.

"Internationalizing" lecturers

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Danang – University of Science and Education (UD-UED) is currently teaching and researching as an exchange faculty member at Mie University (Japan). Accordingly, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen will be responsible for teaching Environmental Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis at Mie University until May 15, 2025.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen shared that getting accustomed to the living and working environment in a new country was not always easy or smooth.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen

(third from the right) with professors

from Mie University (Japan)

In the first teaching hours, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen admitted to feeling a bit out of his depth regarding how to interact with students and how to allocate time during lessons for various learning activities. However, with the support of local professors, he quickly adapted to the new teaching environment.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Van Minh – Rector of UD-UED stated that in recent years, the number of lecturers taking on teaching positions at other universities has been steadily increasing, especially in basic science subjects. This is also one of the advantages of UD-UED in promoting international cooperation and moving towards the internationalization of higher education.

Besides sending lecturers abroad for training, some higher education institutions are beginning to focus on "importing" training technology through lecturer exchanges. According to Prof. Dr. Tran Van Nam, former President of UD, there's a new trend in international cooperation agreements between universities, which will involve activities like exchanging lecturers for research and teaching, as well as student and lecturer mobility.

Some lecturers from Vietnamese higher education institutions are invited to give lectures abroad based on the results of joint research projects between both parties and research groups. Additionally, several Vietnamese lecturers have the opportunity to teach at universities abroad based on the outcomes of international scientific conferences. Another avenue is that a few individuals are nominated by reputable lecturers who have studied or taught at the partner institution.

UD- University of Science and Technology

 and Fukuoka University of Technology (Japan)

discussed signing a memorandum of cooperation

Similarly, UD-DUT has about ten lecturers who have been invited by foreign universities to guest lecture or co-supervise thesis research with local professors.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Hong Hai – Vice Rector of UD-DUT, this was a sign that reflects the growing reputation of Vietnamese lecturers in the international scientific community. The quality and qualifications of Vietnamese lecturers have improved significantly; their level of international integration is not just in terms of scientific research but also in teaching abilities, as well as keeping up with and accessing technology.

Technology Transfer

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Dang Mau – Dean of Faculty of Biology - Environment at UD-UED has just wrapped up a scholar exchange program at the University of Chicago (USA).

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Dang Mau, one of the topics of the scholar exchange program is the research technology transfer related to toxicity screening in a multidisciplinary approach for the Marine Biology Laboratory at the University of Chicago.

Assoc. Prof.Dr. Trinh Dang Mau has over ten years of experience in biodiversity research, with expertise focused on phytoplankton biodiversity, algal ecosystems, and microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Dang Mau

works at the Marine Biology Laboratory

at the University of Chicago (USA)

During the working schedule at Mie University, besides teaching, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen also participated in a group focused on researching new materials. As a result, his research activities in the new work environment have been quite smooth.

Sharing from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen, he had learned a lot from Japanese professors and colleagues, not only about academic content and professional activities but also about how to organize a research team.

“Comparing the organizational methods of the two research groups I participated in at two universities, I noticed that creating regular activities like result reporting, weekly press clubs, and morning group meet-ups helps build a more organized research team and leads to better work outcomes. I plan to apply this model to the research group at UD-UED when I return to my country,” shared Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen.

Dr. Bui Thi Thanh Dieu, UD-UED worked and

researched at Texas State University, USA

Aiming for a dual goal

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thang Nguyen has drawn on her teaching experiences from partner universities to enhance the content she oversees. For example, she updates the topics in the courses she teaches with new material that aligns with current development trends.

In the Tools Analysis course, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen has replaced the content on classical analysis methods with new analytical methods. Regarding issues that fall under the authority of various leadership levels, such as the training program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen plans to provide appropriate feedback during program reviews and updates.

Discussing the academic journey at the Marine Biology Laboratory at the University of Chicago, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Dang Mau shared, “I hope this research can provide more insights into the behavior of plankton species, especially the Rotifers group."

The standard of having lecturers participate in teaching at prestigious universities abroad is highly valued in university rankings by international organizations. Professor Tran Van Nam stated that Vietnamese lecturers who teach at foreign universities will update their teaching organization methods, assessment techniques, and advanced management practices from around the world to apply in their teaching at their universities when they return.

On another side, the experience of international teaching will help lecturers at Vietnamese higher education institutions maintain a connection with the global scientific community. Therefore, international cooperation will actively support these institutions in training personnel, updating curricula, forming new specialized departments, enhancing education facilities, and transferring research technology.