Dr David Lim [DL]: Dr Lam, could you share some background info on your current roles and responsibilities at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), and the role you currently play in overseeing HUTECH’s long-standing institutional collaboration with Open University Malaysia (OUM)?

Dr Bui Xuan Lam (BXL): Thank you, Dr Lim! I am currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of HUTECH, in charge of Education, Research, and International Relations. OUM is one of our long-term strategic partners, and I am responsible for planning policies relevant to developing the collaboration between our two institutions.

DL: The HUTECH-OUM collaborative stretches back more than a decade. Do you recall how it all began? Can you share some anecdotes on how the collaboration was seeded and how it grew and grew?

BXL: The Cultural Attaché at the Malaysian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City was the one who suggested that we look up OUM more than 12 years ago. Subsequently, we decided to get in touch with the OUM leadership to propose a collaboration.

At the beginning, we knew we needed to learn more about the Malaysian culture. So, the HUTECH team arranged many visits to Malaysia in an effort to understand how OUM operates, and get to know the relevant people in charge. We picked up a lot during these visits, and I really appreciated the goodwill of the OUM leadership and staff.

The spirit of understanding has played such an important role in the growth of the OUM-HUTECH collaboration. It always feels like a family gathering whenever I visit OUM in Malaysia, or welcome OUM delegates to HUTECH.

The spirit of understanding has played such an important role in the growth of the OUM-HUTECH collaboration. It always feels like a family gathering whenever I visit OUM in Malaysia, or welcome OUM delegates to HUTECH.

DL: HUTECH has established multiple collaborations with a number of other universities around the world by way of offering HUTECH students variegated choices and career paths. Can you share some success stories from the key collaborations?

BXL: Yes, that’s true. HUTECH has introduced many joint programmes through collaborations with universities from the US, Europe, and Asia. These include the University of North Alabama, Lincoln University (US), CY Cergy Paris University (France), and Kanazawa Institute of Technology (Japan).

But, if you ask me about one of our most important collaborations, I would like to talk about what we have achieved with OUM. Since 2013, more than 1,700 learners have graduated from OUM-HUTECH programmes. Virtually all these graduates have successfully secured jobs, or continued to pursue studies at higher levels. Many of them now also hold important positions in private companies or governmental sectors.

DL: What does HUTECH look for, what factors does it consider, when it sets out to explore potential collaborations with universities around the world?

BXL: For HUTECH, what we consider important is the reputation of the partner institution. It’s also important for the programmes we are interested in to be accredited, and to bring value to Vietnamese learners.

DL: What are HUTECH’s future plans for institutional collaborations?

BXL: We are planning to develop more programmes, and give our learners the opportunity to study abroad at specific partner universities for one semester or year, whichever is feasible. In the near future, I foresee HUTECH sending more of our learners to OUM in Malaysia, and to our other partners as well. Experiencing studies abroad would be a big benefit to them.

DL: Many thanks, Dr Lam, for your time.

BXL: Thanks, Dr Lim, for giving me an opportunity to share a little about our very successful and fruitful collaboration.