Can Tho announced its plan to upgrade its education infrastructure and expand campuses at pre-school, secondary and tertiary levels by 2030. This project is worth VND9.6 trillion (US$422.4 million) with VND520-550 billion (US$ 25 million) each year, mainly covered by the State budget with around 10 per cent mobilised from the private sector.

Funding for information technology equipment is about VND11 billion per year.

The city will focus on three key measures: expanding investment in building educational infrastructure in rural and remote areas; giving priorities in land use for schools’ development; and calling for foreign investment in high quality international school models.

Singapore’s KinderWorld education group will start the construction of its three international schools in Can Tho, including Singapore International School, Pegasus University, and the life skills education school Outward Bound in August 2016.

On the UK side, the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, in a recent bilateral meeting with UK Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever, agreed to enhance education cooperation with the UK through overseas study, student and lecturer exchanges, and establishment of research institutes.

As announced in the meeting, the UK is offering Vietnamese students with over 30 Chevening scholarships per year, an increase from 10 in the previous years. The Ambassador also mentioned TNE programmes delivered in Vietnam as a solution for students wishing to obtain UK qualifications in their homeland.

Furthermore, the UK outlined specific roadmaps on building high-tech and bio-tech research centres and institutes in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between two nations through Newton Fund, aiming to reduce critical impacts of climate change.

Sources
Vietnam Plus, Can Tho, UK step up cooperation in education
Dan Tri International, Can Tho invests over VND9.6 trillion to upgrade education infrastructure by 2030