Page 30 - Technical Cooperation Project for Building Capacity for Can Tho University...

Chapter 1 Basic Information

be the state's investment to develop some specialized sectors, especially agriculture, aquaculture and
environment, which are considered the strengths of the university and the region.
Therefore, the project “Building Capacity for Can Tho University to be an Excellent Institution of
Education, Scientific Research and Technology Transfer” is essential and pressing to contribute to the
comprehensive development and modernization of CTU, to keep abreast with the region and the world,
strongly and effectively contribute to the speedy and sustainable development of the region and the
overall development of the country, and accompany with advanced universities in the world.

The Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-2020 (SEDS) envisions that the country will become
a modern industrialized nation and sets that “Education and training, and science and technology are
to meet the requirements of the country’s industrialization and modernization” as one of the main
objectives. It also pays special attention to Human Resource Development Strategies 2011-2020 (HRDS)
and Human Resource Development Master Plan 2011-2020 (HRDMP). The HRDMP emphasizes higher
education, and it sets targets in teachers’ quality which affects quality of education and requests more
teachers in higher education to get higher academic degrees.

CTU is located in the MDR, the South of Viet Nam, and the region is active in agriculture, aquaculture
and fishery industries which account for 25% of GDP in Viet Nam. The region has people who work for
primary industry, while there are some serious issues such as water pollution affected by climate change
and rise in sea level, which directly relates to agricultural productions. The MDR has a potential to develop
food processing and agricultural machinery which are two of the prioritized six fields in the Vietnamese
Government’s industrialization strategy under which Viet Nam aims to become an industrialized country
by 2020. Based on the requirement of HRDMP, the development plan, “Development of Education, Training
and Vocational Training in the Mekong River Delta during 2011-2015” (DEVT-MRD), was approved, in
which CTU is considered as a leading university and support it to modernize physical foundations and
develop lecturers and academic programs up to the level of developed countries. Thus, CTU is expected
to realize the educational and research achievements by conducting researches which meet the needs of
such issues in the MDR, aiming to reinforce international competitiveness to be recognized as a research
based university and improve education, research, and management capability.
GOV planned “Framework of establishing International Model University” in 2006 to establish four
model universities with international standards to become a role model of better education and research
in Viet Nam. CTU was selected as one of the four candidates of international model universities.
The Project is aligned with the “Industrial and Human Resource Development Program”, under the
development issue of “Strengthening of Industrial Competitiveness and Human Resource Development”,
in the Rolling Plan for the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam under Japan’s ODA, Furthermore, under “Japan
- Viet Nam Joint Statement on the Establishment of the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and
Prosperity in Asia” held on March 18th, 2014, it is mentioned that human resource development is
supported by Japan to Viet Nam.

1.3 Rationales

The TC Project was formed in accordance with “Can Tho University Improvement Project” (ODA Loan
Project) (Loan Agreement no VN14-P6 on July 4th, 2015 and effective from October 30th, 2015).
The ODA Loan project aims to enhance research and education capacity of CTU in three fields, namely
agriculture, fisheries/aquaculture and environment as well as other related fields through human
resource development, administration process and policy as well as environment for research and
education. This objective will contribute to solutions for the MDR against environmental problems and
climate change issues especially. Key components of the ODA Loan Project are: i) development of human
resources, ii) implementing the research projects, iii) facility construction, iv) equipment procurement,
and v) consulting services procurement.
The Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam on its Diplomatic Note No. J.F.221/2015 on March 16th, 2015 and

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