Intel Corporation along with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Arizona State University (ASU) announced the implementation of a Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP) through 2014 to improve higher technological development in Vietnam.

Intel Products Vietnam, ASU and some Vietnamese universities including Ho Chi Minh University of Industry, HCMC University Vocational College of Technology and Cao Thang Technical College signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 14 to expand engineering education.

Through this US$2 million program, USAID, ASU’s Ira A., Fulton School of Engineering, Intel, Siemens and other industry partners have teamed up with eight top technical universities and colleges in Vietnam to improve the quality of Vietnam’s higher education curriculum and support the country’s growing high-tech industry.

The alliance will collaborate with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and leadership to help participating universities and technical colleges to implement programs and broaden infrastructure that supports faculty training, curriculum development and hands-on student learning experiences. Students will gain technical expertise, language proficiency and the soft skills and competencies needed to succeed.

Dr. Vu Dinh Thanh, rector of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, called HEEAP “an effective collaboration strategy that will yield significant progress toward our goals for our educational system.”

The expansion of the program will enable alliance partners to add a vocational track using the innovative instructional approaches and pedagogy implemented in the inaugural program. The expanded initiative will prepare students for success in the global economy through modernization of vocational education programs, resources and instructional technology.

The expansion also allows the partners in their efforts to recruit women for engineering and offer student scholarships. Women currently account for four percent of students enrolled in applied technology programs in Vietnam’s vocational schools.

HEEAP was initiated in 2010 with funding from USAID, Intel and ASU.

Source: SGGP