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New investment will accelerate progress in modernizing engineering education in Vietnam

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS:

  • HEEAP expansion consists of six components (1) Leadership development (2) Faculty development (3) Curriculum, lab and infrastructure; (4) Distance education (5) Diversity and instructional expert development; and (6) English, and will begin the implementation from 2013 to 2017 with the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) criteria.
  • Today’s event is a Signing Agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and Arizona State University (ASU) to invest in the expansion of the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program with a  focus on faculty training for Vietnam technical universities  with an estimated investment of $4 million.
  • Another 1,000 faculty members will benefit from this or expansion of HEEAP and about 12 more industry partners to join the HEEAP expansion.
  • The estimated value of the expansion will be up to $40 million, which was committed by Ministry of Education, General Department of Vocational Training – Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs, Intel, and industries partners. The commitment from Intel is $7 million.

HANOI, August 20, 2012– Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), General Department of Vocational Training – Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs (GDVT - MOLISA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Intel Corp., and Arizona State University (ASU), in partnership with government agencies, universities and colleges in Vietnam, are intensifying efforts to modernize higher engineering education in the country through the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP).

MOET and ASU are the first two partners to sign an implementation agreement on the HEEAP expansion, focusing on faculty training on innovative instruction methods, curriculum development, and English improvement with an estimated investment of $4 million.

“The Vietnamese government is very pleased with the outcomes of the HEEAP project to be strong partners to rapidly upgrade our higher education system;  that is why we decided to support HEEAP expansion with our financial commitment,” said MOET Vice Minister Bui Van Ga.

HEEAP was established in 2010 with funding from USAID and Intel. It is administered by ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. To date the program has trained more than 100 faculty members from Vietnam’s universities and colleges in advanced methods for teaching engineering at ASU.

The expanded phase of HEEAP will also have other funding partners,including GDVT-MOLISA and Intel Corp., and other industrial partners and will be carried out in close collaboration with USAID. The estimated financial investment of the expansion will be up to $40 million,

HEEAP aims to accelerate economic development by providing a more highly trained workforce in Vietnam to meet the growing needs of global high-tech industries. Ultimately, HEEAP will strengthen education and research collaboration, as well as business ties, between Vietnam and the United States.

One component of the HEEAP expansion will establish a distance-learning network that will enable students across the country to take online courses. There will be upgrades of data systems used by the engineering education programs in Vietnam’s colleges and universities.

The new investment will enable the program to provide training to an estimated 1,000 faculty members, and bring engineering  programs into compliance with requirements set by leading higher education accrediting organizations, specifically theABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology) and the CDIO (Conceive — Design — Implement — Operate).

Since the start of the program, other industry partners like Siemens, Honeywell, Danaher and Cadence have joined the program. These companies have provided equipment, simulation and software tools and training of faculty.

During the expansion of HEEAP, the alliance expects to add at least 12 new industry partners within the next five years.

About USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the lead agency for the U.S. Government providing economic development and humanitarian assistance to people around the world. USAID/Vietnam’s programs help reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS avian influenza, facilitate education, trade and economic development, provide support for persons with disabilities, and provide disaster assistance. Additional information about USAID/Vietnam is available at http://vietnam.usaid.gov/.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroomandblogs.intel.com.

About ASU

Arizona State University is a New American University—a major public educational institution, a premier research center and a leader in innovation. Our vision is described by our three core principles: excellence in scholarship, access to education and impact in our global community. As a New American University, ASU is intellectually vibrant, socially conscious and globally engaged. More information:http://www.asu.edu/

Information about ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering: http://engineering.asu.edu/