International education and training cooperation
WORKSHOP
“DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW AT FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY”
Within the framework of the Multilateral Trade Assistance Project (EU -VIETNAM MUTRAP III), during two days of the 14th and 15th of June, 2010, a workshop with the theme “Development of higher education programs on International Trade Law at Foreign Trade University” will be held by Foreign Trade University in Hanoi.
This is an important event of the first activity of the MUTRAP III Project entitled “Design and development of higher education programs on international trade law at Foreign Trade University to meet the demands of Vietnam’s integration into the global trading system following the country’s accession to the WTO” funded by the EU to Foreign Trade University”.
Foreign Trade University, with the Faculty of Business Administration directly responsible for executing this project, is one of the seven institutions receiving the direct fund worth 285,230 EUR (in the total amount of 1,700,000 EUR) from the European Union, to carry out the above-mentioned Project. This Project with the duration of 30 months from September 2009 to February 2012 is part of Component 2 of the EU – Viet Nam MUTRAP III. The Project Task Force of MUTRAP III will assist Foreign Trade University in carrying out this Project.
About 50 participants will attend the workshop, including delegates from the EU representative office in Vietnam, from MUTRAP III, and from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training, domestic experts as well as FTU’s heads and lecturers.
The workshop focuses on the discussion and evaluation of representatives from Ministry of Education and Training as well as domestic experts on the Bachelor program in International Trade Law, Master’s program in International Trade Law and the short – term training course on WTO – related legal issues.
The anticipated result of the workshop mainly focuses on collecting opinions and suggestions from domestic experts and representatives from Ministry of Education and Training on the three above programs to perfect and implement these programs at Foreign Trade University.
OVERVIEW OF RECENT ACTIVITIES OF THE PROJECT MUTRAP III – FTU 1 (DCI-ASIE/2009/204-407)
The Contract DCI-ASIE/2009/204-407 which was signed between EC and Foreign Trade University (FTU) in August 2009 has opened an opportunity for FTU to develop the capacity in educating and doing research in international trade law. The Project MUTRAP III- FTU1, entitled “Design and development of higher education programs on international trade law at the Foreign Trade University to meet the demands of Vietnam’s integration into the global trading system following the country’s accession to the WTO”, has been effectively deployed by the Faculty of Business Administration, Foreign Trade University, for nine months since the start of the Project.
In order to create a sound foundation of the action in the Project, the survey of approximately 1000 organizations and enterprises’ need for training and improving the skills of Vietnamese legal professionals in the post-WTO period had been executed in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The survey shows that there is a high demand for training and improving skills in International Trade Law. After the survey, two important activities have been carried out as follows.
1. FTU’s Establishment of International Trade Law Research Centre
MUTRAP III- FTU1 project has officially put into operation since September 2009, after getting the consultancy from European experts in designing the organization and activities of the centre and submitting the establishment proposal to the President of FTU, the research centre officially be established under the President’s Decision No 305/QD-DHNT-TCHC in April 2010 with the following specific activities:
- Support the Project Management Board in organizing the specialized short-term course on WTO-related legal issues;
- Continue to organize similar specialized courses that generate funds for the centre itself;
- Conduct joint research projects in international trade law and WTO-related legal issues with European partners and associates, and local experts
- Initiate the creation of a journal on international trade law and WTO-related legal issues;
- Organize seminars/workshops in international trade law and WTO-related legal issues for practitioners and/or students; and
- Organize the translation of books purchased from EU for the newly developed programs
2. Consultancy contracts signed with European leading experts in designing curriculum and syllabi in international trade law
Also in April 2010, three Consultancy contracts have been concluded with three famous professors coming from the EU universities as Project partners, namely Universiteit Maastricht (Maastricht, the Netherlands), and Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi” (Milan, Italy). These universities are the leading universities in international trade law, international economics, international trade policy, and international trade politics. These universities consolidated a long-lasting experience in Vietnam and in the fields covered by this Project, such as capacity building and training of public and private organizations, modernization of programs and strengthening of education systems, establishment of study centers, etc.
FTU has signed the Consultancy contracts to require the experts to design three curricula and syllabi, teaching and assessment methodology, and materials for the following programs at FTU:
- A bachelor program of International Trade Law;
- A master’s program of International Trade Law; and
- A two-week short-term training course addressing a range of specialized topics in WTO-related legal issues.
Below are the brief introductions about the three European experts who provide the consultancy services to FTU.
1. Professor Peter van den Bossche
Prof. van den Bossche is Member of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, Geneva (since 2009); Professor of International Economic Law, Maastricht University; Member of the International Faculty of the World Trade Institute, Berne, Switzerland (since 2002); Director of Studies, Advanced Master in International and European Economic Law, Maastricht University; and holds many other important positions in academia.
Prof. van den Bossche has more than 26 years of experience, of which 19 years are in academia and 7 years at the highest judicial bodies of the European Union and the World Trade Organization (European Court of Justice and the WTO Appellate Body).
2. Professor Giorgio Sacerdoti
Prof. Sacerdoti is Professor of International and European Law (Jean Monnet Chair) at Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi”; one of the leading, most prestiged specialists on international trade law at Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi”. He was Member of the Appellate Body of the WTO, Geneva, (2001-2009), and the Chairman (2006-2007).
Prof. Sacerdoti is also Arbitrator and Chairman of ICSID Arbitral Tribunals between States and foreign investors under the 1965 Washington Convention; nominated to the ICSID list of panellists by Italy since 1987; Chairman and Arbitrator of various ICC, LCIA and ad hoc arbitral tribunals in international commercial disputes.
3. Professor Fabrizio Onida
Prof. Onida is Dean of Bocconi PhD program in International Law and Economics (2007-09); Honorary president of Bocconi research centre KITES (Knowledge Internationalization and Technology Studies), former President of CESPRI (Centre of Research on Innovation and Internationalization) at Università Commerciale “Luigi Bocconi”. He is Full Professor of International Economics at Bocconi University (since 1983) and Senior Professor of International Economics since Nov. 1, 2009.
Following the Consultancy contracts with the EU experts, an evaluation workshop will be organized in the middle of June to collect the opinions and/or suggestions from local experts and representatives from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training about all above three programs, in order to request the European experts to revise them if necessary. This workshop, together with other activities of the Project, will get the involvement of the world’s top experts on the field of international trade law in the hope that the Project will create a new path of training bachelors, masters, and practitioners of international trade law in Vietnam.
ACCA Vietnam and the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) have signed a Cooperation Agreement with the basic contents as follows:
ACCA Vietnam will:
– assist in training the lecturers of the Faculty on accounting, auditing, and finance;
– support and provide materials for study, reference, and research on accounting, auditing, and finance;
– grant scholarships for excellent students every year;
– support students’ activities through financial sponsorship, or participating as guest speakers or/and assisting to invite highly qualified experts on accounting, auditing, and finance to participate such activities;
– allow FBA students to participate in prefered programs for students of ACCA;
– allow FBA graduates to enjoy exemptions from certain subjects when registering for ACCA certification exams.
Faculty of Business Administration will:
– provide a list of students eligible for scholarships for ACCA, and hold an annual scholarship celebration;
– attend the activities held by ACCA as speakers or guests;
– grant priorities for ACCA to introduce and provide information to students;
– grant priorities for FBA lecturers to attend training courses organized by ACCA.
The specific cooperation activities have been implemented between ACCA Vietnam and Faculty of Business Administration:
– ACCA grants annual scholarships for students and lecturers of FBA,
– ACCA and FBA have cooperated to organize several English topical talks for lecturers and students of FBA. An example was the seminar on “Corporate Social Responsibility – International Experience and Practice in Vietnam” held on 17 April 2009 with the participation of Mr Tay Kay Luan, ACCA Director – ASEAN & Oceania region.
The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS)
The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) was established in 1959 with the approval of the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (which presently is the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry – METI) as the first technical cooperation organization on a private basis in Japan. Its main purpose is to promote international economic cooperation and enhance mutual economic development and friendly relations between developing countries and Japan.
The joint program on Enterpreuner Education held by AOTS in association with the FBA
The goal of the program is to develop entrepreneurial spirit in participants through activities and training at universities, thus promoting business people to contribute to the development of Vietnam.
The program was carried out very successfully in 2008 in Vietnam with the participation of approximately 70 participants. Participants were those who have been teaching or will teach business in the future at universities of economics and business in Vietnam.
After attending the program, lecturers were provided with the fundamental knowledge of business, business start-ups, interactions between lecturers and students. The program also helped the participants to set up working groups to practice in the business industry to earn their own experience.
The effectiveness of these programs is reflected in the following aspects. First, entrepreneurs or businessmen can acquire the knowledge and skills to improve their business whilst other participants can develop the thinking of business as well as acquire skills and practical knowledge. Second, lecturers of business can develop their teaching methods and learn about staff training. Third, lecturers can adopt the model of the program and apply it to the university where they are teaching.
The progam was carried out with the official development assistance (ODA) by the Government of Japan.