Vietnam, New Zealand speed up education cooperation

Cooperation in education between Vietnam and New Zealand has constantly developed in recent years, becoming the prime priority area in New Zealand's bilateral ties with Vietnam. The remark was shared by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and New Zealand's Governor-General Jerry Mateparae when they attended a ceremony here on Tuesday to celebrate achievement in educational cooperation between the two countries. The event was held during Mateparae's visit to Vietnam on Aug. 3-8 at the invitation of Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang. Education is one of five areas given strategic priority in the action plan to implement the New Zealand-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, said Mateparae. Over the past 20 years, more than 400 Vietnamese trainees attended the English training program in New Zealand, and many others completed training courses held by New Zealand's universities and their Vietnamese partners. In 2012, more than 2,000 Vietnamese students went to New Zealand for study, up 90 percent from 2008. Vietnam ranks ninth in number among foreign students studying in New Zealand.