US helps improve engineering education with $2.5 mln program

The US Agency of International Development and Intel Group will invest US$2.5 million in improving engineering education at five Vietnamese schools, according to an agreement signed Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City.

Intel will provide $1.5 million of the funds which will be given to Vietnam’s leading technology schools including Hanoi Polytechnics University, HCMC Polytechnic University, Can Tho University, HCMC University of Technical Education and Da Nang Polytechnic University.

Experts from the Arizona State University and Portland State University will use US programs to help train a group of excellent Vietnamese lecturers, said US ambassador Micheal Michalak.

The experts will focus on developing multi-faculty training programs and pay attention to the applicability of the programs, he said.

Over three years, the program will train around 25 Vietnamese lecturers, helping them design training programs, hold laboratory lectures, and apply new teaching methods.

Even after the progam, the Vietnamese teachers will be able to consult with the US experts about the new methods.