Education at the heart of Vietnam-Singapore relations

Hanoi, September 26 (VNA) - Education is one of the focal points of the multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore , with tens of thousands of Vietnamese students pursuing higher education in the island country. The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore is one of the top choices for those who want to pursue a degree in public policy in Asia , with its graduates passionate about improving public administration and living standards. Over the past 20 years, the school has developed a deep relationship with Vietnam , with a particular focus on short-term personnel training. The institution has helped nearly 1,500 Vietnamese students sharpen their skills in analysing, defining and implementing policy. Kishore Mahbubani, Dean and Professor at the faculty of Practice of Public Policy, said “ Lee Kuan Yew School has a multi-dimensional relationship with Vietnam but our hope is to make it deeper and stronger as the years to come.” Meanwhile, Dr Vu Minh Khuong, who has a PhD from Harvard University and is a lecturer at Lee Kuan Yew School , said Vietnam could learn from Singapore how to design a modern education system that equips students with full knowledge and freedom to choose their preferred career. The Civil Service School (CSC) International is one of the most attractive cadres training schools for Vietnamese students who want a more practical and applied approach to implementing public policy, with a particular focus on Singapore’s experience. Flynn Ong, CSC Assistant Director, said “We really want to share Singaporean experiences and through this the Vietnam officials would be able to get home with first hand experiences how Singapore implemented some of its policies when they get interactives with some of former or even current public sector leaders. And through that, we also hope that we can contribute a little bit to Vietnam development.” The Singaporean side said Vietnam should continue its education reform, particularly in light of global rapid changes. Dr Mahbubani used his country as an example, saying that in the past, Singapore could compete with countries like India and China , but now it cannot. “You have to reinvent yourself, you have to reinvent your economies, you have to reinvent your education system. And I would encourage Vietnam to do that yourself”, he suggested.-VNA