HAPIE - workshop on transferring UK knowledge and expertise on innovation and entrepreneurship
The three-day workshop on “Enhancements of High-Quality Human Resources and Employability for Vietnam in Design and Development of High-value Added Products, Innovation and Entrepreneurship” (in short HAPIE) with the participation of 30 educational leaders and researchers from 15 UK and Vietnamese universities and businesses, was held in Ho Chi Minh City from 5 to 7 January 2017.
The workshop focused on sharing UK experiences and expertise in learning, teaching and assessment methods; employability, internship and placement programmes; innovation and entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer partnerships.
Participants in the workshop also discussed sustainable ways forward through collaboration on research, joint proposals for funding opportunities from the Vietnam or UK governments, and development of a science and advance technology information hub for academics, researchers and businesses.
Twelve memorandum of agreement on the development of UK – Vietnam joint proposals for funding in 2017, were signed in the workshop.
Assoc. Prof. Mai Anh Tuan, Head of Microsystem and Sensor Technology, the International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, as the project leader, said ‘the workshop exceeded our expectation as we had very strong support from Saigon Hi-tech Park, great coordination from Greenwich, Newcastle and Cardiff Universities in the UK, and cooperation from more than 10 university and business partners from Vietnam. We learnt a lot from the UK experience. We are impressed with the design and development of high-added value products, such as typical prototypes for medical devices.’
Dr Michael Packianather, Senior Lecturer of Cardiff University said ‘The workshop today is a continuation from another successful Vietnam UK workshop on development and applications of advanced biomaterials and medical devices to improve health outcomes of underserved populations, organised in June 2016 in Vietnam. We are very grateful for having another great chance to come and work with Vietnam universities and businesses in the project.’
The workshop is part of the HAPIE project granted by the British Council Higher Education Partnership fund.