A DELEGATION from Bournemouth University has visited Vietnam as part of a higher education project.

They took their Global Festival of Learning to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with the British Council-funded Higher Education Partnership Project, which brings universities together to share good practice.

The week-long event looked at global talent and the world of work, focussing on the similarities and differences between higher education in the UK, Netherlands and Vietnam, and what more universities can be doing to prepare graduates for the world of work.

The delegation visited MB Bank in Hanoi – a popular Vietnamese bank – to talk about global talent. A panel of university staff were joined by BU graduate Philip Ost, of Zurich Investment, and Quang Hoang, a BU graduate who is now the youngest branch director of MB Bank in Vietnam.

As a part of the Festival, BU hosted an alumni event, with over 25 Hanoi-based graduates invited to the British Ambassador’s Residence to meet staff from BU. T

The Festival then moved on to the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, where more than 400 students and staff from the local university, alongside journalists and industry professionals, gathered to share good practice with BU experts.

The final day of the Festival took place at Co.op Mart – a retail chain popular in Vietnam – for discussions about the retail sector and how BU staff, students and graduates can help to support retail in Vietnam.

Jim Andrews, BU's Chief Operating Officer, said: "BU's Global Festival of Learning is another great opportunity to showcase our excellence across the world. Global talent is at the heart of everything we do, as we create graduates who are ready to enhance society wherever they go across the world.

"This Festival is the continuation of an important discussion about how we can work with industry, and other universities, to ensure that our graduates are work-ready with a global mindset in everything they do."

The Global Festival of Learning was the 10th Festival to date, with BU representatives previously visiting countries such as China, India and Berlin to take BU global and showcase the university’s excellence around the globe.