On the morning of February 20, 2025, Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son – Vice President of the University of Danang (UD) presided over a meeting with the visiting delegation from the United States Consulate General, Ho Chi Minh City, including Ms. Christina Le, Head of the Political Section, and Mr. Justin Walls, Cultural and Educational Attaché.

Representatives from UD’s relevant departments (Training and Education Quality Assurance, Science and International Cooperation) also attended the meeting.

Overview of the working session at UD

During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Le Quang Son – UD Vice President welcomed and introduced some outstanding characteristics of UD as a multi-disciplinary, multi-field training and research center, developing top human resources in the Central Highlands region as well as the entire country with 07 member universities and its educational scale of about 60 thousand full-time students/learners.

With the trend, potential, and demand for development, UD places great emphasis on expanding and enhancing connections with agencies, organizations, and businesses, especially with prestigious universities around the world, including partners from the United States. UD is one of the top three universities in Vietnam (alongside the National Universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) that the governments of both countries have funded to participate in the Partnership for Higher Education Reform (PHER) project during the 2022 - 2026 phase.

This is an opportunity for UD to learn, acquire, and select experiences in development and international integration to enhance the capacity for innovative management, the quality of education, and scientific research, connecting with enterprises and the community and meeting the demand for developing high-quality human resources for the industrialization and modernization of Vietnam.

Vice President Le Quang Son presented

a souvenir to the representative of

the U.S. Consulate, Ho Chi Minh City

UD’s senior representative shared with partners about the cooperative relationship with more than 20 U.S. universities, which has brought many practical values, exemplified by the 2+2 training program with Portland University and the development of the Maker Innovation Space Maker Innovation Space in collaboration with Arizona State University...

Vice President Le Quang Son hoped that in the upcoming time, the U.S. Consulate, Ho Chi Minh City would continue to pay attention and support as a bridge to connect UD with more U.S. partners and connect experts toward the goal of sustainable development.

Ms. Christina Le, Head of the Political Section, expressed her pleasure in visiting and working with UD, as well as for the warm reception from UD. Appreciating UD as one of the trusted, leading partners in the Vietnamese higher education system. She also shared that the mission of the U.S. Consulate, Ho Chi Minh City is to promote and connect development programs in various fields, including education and culture, thereby strengthening cooperative relationships not only with Vietnam, a comprehensive strategic partner of the United States, but also expanding the scope globally.

Consolidating and developing cooperative relationships

in training, research, and cultural exchange

Ms. Christina Le stated that 2025 marks an important milestone in a memorable journey celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. She also shared about the intention and desire to organize a friendship festival in Da Nang, and there might be a similar event taking place in another country; therefore, if there is an opportunity to collaborate with a prestigious university to co-organize this event, it would be a highly anticipated idea.

On this occasion, Ms. Christina Le was pleased to introduce to the leaders of UD the new role of Mr. Justin Walls, Cultural and Educational Attaché who had extensive experience working in China. It is hoped that through visits and activities such as this one at UD, Mr. Justin Walls will have the opportunity to grasp information and needs to support collaboration, especially in education and culture.

In an atmosphere of understanding and respect, both sides acknowledged their concerns and shared their directions, thereby continuing to strengthen and develop the cooperative relationship in training and scientific research, promoting increased cultural and language exchanges in the context of globalization.