MOU Signing Ceremony between Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and Universiti Sains Malaysia

Attending the ceremony from the USM were Professor Dr. Habibah A. Wahab, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Dr. Zulnaidi Yaacob, Dean of the School of Distance Education, along with other faculty members and researchers. Representing the DAV were Dr. Pham Lan Dung – Acting President, Dr. Vu Le Thai Hoang – Director General of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and Strategic Studies, and a representative of the DAV Department of Education and Training.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Pham Lan Dung expressed her gratitude for the warm reception from the USM’s leadership and faculty members. She emphasized the importance of increased cooperation among ASEAN higher education institutions, in both teaching and research, to achieve regional and global recognition. She also believed in the prospects for cooperation and recognized the efforts of both sides in finalizing the Memorandum of Understanding.

From the USM, Professor Dr. Habibah A. Wahab commended the active and innovative approach of the DAV to enhance the quality of education and research given Viet Nam’s comprehensive international integration. She emphasized the USM’s priority of promoting cooperation with reputable educational institutions regionwide and beyond, expressing confidence that the MOU would yield concrete and meaningful results. She added that USM is also a leading university in Malaysia in fields like science, technology, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor technology, paving the way for further potentials for bilateral cooperation.

Upon the signing ceremony, both parties discussed the implementation plan for the years 2024-2025 and beyond. The discussion focused on the shared strengths of the two institutions, including international relations, international economics, business administration, and English teaching, among others. Both sides also shared the views on the potentials for student and scholar exchange programs, international publications, distance learning, as well as organizing dialogues and seminars on mutual concerns.

Universiti Sains Malaysia, established in 1969, is the second oldest university in Malaysia. In 2008, it was selected by the Malaysian Ministry of Education for the APEX (Accelerated Program for Excellence) Program, a mechanism to support higher education institutions recognized internationally. To date, it remains the only university in Malaysia enjoying this status. The USM also excels in research, with over 3000 academic papers published in SCOPUS-indexed international journals. The School of Distance Education, established in 1971, is a pioneer and leader in Malaysia in this domain. The courses offered under this program are equivalent to those pursued by full-time students at the USM. The period of study extends from a minimum of 4 years to a maximum of 12 years. Successful candidates will be conferred Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Social Science, Arts or Management.

In 2024, Universiti Sains Malaysia was ranked second among universities in Malaysia and 137th internationally in the QS World University Rankings.

Some photos from the Signing Ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and Universiti Sains Malaysia./.