Vietnam Deputy PM Launches New University Project -
Eastern International University in Binh Duong Province

Plan for the Eastern International University (EIU)

(Pictures above) Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan at the ground breaking ceremony for the Mien Dong - Eastern International University in Binh Duong Province.  Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan broke ground for Mien Dong (Eastern) International University (EIU) in the southern province of Binh Duong on August 14, 2009, reported Vietnam News Agency.  Located on a 26ha area in the Binh Duong New Township, EIU, the US$95 million university, aims to meet the demand for a skilled labour force for more than 10,000 enterprises in the province. Mien Dong or EIU’s primary mission is built on an applied education model with multi-level departments divided by three majors: engineering/technology, business administration and hospitality, and nursing and pharmacy. Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nhan said Becamex IDC’s plan to establish EIU, which was approved by the Government recently, indicated the consistent policy of attaching training service to social need and economic development. "It aims to promote the implementation of the policy on socialisation of education, attract investment capital for educational development, and increase human resources quality through training activities," said Nhan. With a total investment of VND1.7 trillion ($95million), the Binh Duong-based state company Becamex IDC Corp, the developer/investor of the project, aims to provide solutions to the lack of high quality human resources for the entire Southern Key Economic Zone. Picture left: Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc, President of EIU and Dr. Rachaneeporn Sapkranon, Dean of Nursing School, Burapha University, Thailand. Attended the ceremony are diplomats from various countries, such as China, Canada, France and in the picture (right) Consul General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City - Mr. Khairi Omar;  Soraya Runckel; and The U.S. Consul General Ken Fairfax. Nguyen Van Hung, chairman of Becamex IDC’s management board, said the first phase of the project, which includes lecture rooms and equipment, administration office, park/campus grounds and internal roads, would be completed with an investment of VND700 billion ($39 million). He said EIU would enroll students for the school year 2010-11 with majors such as electronics, automation, mechanics, precision engineering, pharmacy, nursing and business administration. When the project’s third phase is completed by 2015, EIU can accommodate up to 24,000 students. Picture left: Deputy Prime Minister plants an aupicious tree at the site Picture right: Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of Becamex IDC’s management board, walked to plant the next tree. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the EIU Project, said the university would have a total of 980 professors and lecturers including 125 management and staff members by 2010. For the teaching staff expansion, EIU will recruit personnel from guest lecturers from HCM City National University and other prestigious schools in Viet Nam, and contract with retired and experienced professors from North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore. Dr. Phuc said foreign professors would be assigned as the co-head of each department or branches, together with Vietnamese professors, and this model would help to effectively transfer the modern technique and management skills to EIU.