Australia is providing 30 outstanding Vietnamese students with the opportunity to complete a two year Master's course both in Australia and Vietnam through the in country Engineering Scholarships program.
The $1.5 million program (2010–2013) will improve the skill level of engineers to meet labour demands in Vietnam's booming sectors of electronics and infrastructure. It will focus on developing technical know-how and important career skills in teamwork, problem-solving and English.
The program, a joint initiative between AusAID, RMIT Vietnam and Vietnam-based industry partners such as Intel, is Vietnam's first internationally recognised engineering program offered at Master level by a reputable foreign university and taught completely in English.
Seven scholarship recipients from RMIT's Ho Chi Minh City Campus are visiting Melbourne on an exchange semester until the end of November 2012 as part of the Master of Engineering (Electronic and Computer Engineering) program.
After the semester in Melbourne, the seven students will return to Vietnam and undertake a twelve-week-internship in a locally based industry partner before graduation from the Master of Engineering program.
The scholarship program aims to help Vietnam address major skills shortages in high-level engineering. Scholarship recipient Mr Huy Nguyen said he has been enjoying his time in Australia and coping with the icy Melbourne winter–a far cry from steamy Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr Nguyen said RMIT's Student Services team and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering helped him overcome the initial challenges including finding accommodation, learning to use Melbourne public transport and learn more about Australia's education system.
Mr Nguyen said he learned about the use of different engineering terminology in Australia compared to Vietnam. Following conversations could be a challenge because people spoke in English much faster than they did in Vietnam, inside and outside the classroom, he said.
A second scholarship recipient, Mr Tung Nguyen said classes in Melbourne were much bigger than those on the Ho Chi Minh campus.
Both students said they were relishing their university and cultural experience in Australia.
'It's wonderful here,' Tung Nguyen said. 'We have been to many barbecues. We've been on a trip along the Great Ocean Road.'
Mr Nguyen has even added to his cold weather survival credentials with a recent trip to snow-covered Mount Buller.
'The visit to Australia is a good chance to see something completely different from our life in Vietnam, and help us learn more about what we may be able to do in future.'