The MMSU and the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) based in Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam have agreed to conduct collaborative research activities to further strengthen the implementation of the two agencies’ research and development (R&D) programs in agriculture, forestry and other allied sciences.

These development efforts were contained in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the MMSU leadership and that of the TUAF through its rector, Dr. Tran Van Dien.

As stipulated in the agreement, both agencies have agreed to develop a cultural and educational collaborative activities in areas of academic instruction, research, cultural, and extension on a global context that will lead them become world-class universities in the near future.

MMSU and TUAF will cooperate in the development and implementation of their respective programs relevant to their mandates more specifically in international partnerships and external linkages.

As a whole, the roles of both agencies are outlined as follows: 1) to conduct joint research programs and share research capabilities for external resource generation on agreed areas of disciplines; 2) to exchange students, scholars, scientists, faculty members, researchers and extensionists in conducting instructional researches and extension activities; 3) to conduct symposia and international conferences that are relevant to the agencies’ joint interests;  4)  to share with each other printed materials for extension and for academic and agricultural research; and 5) to offer joint degree programs that might benefit the Philippine and the Vietnamese goverment, among others.

As an initial move to prove the sincerity of the agreement, the TUAF has invited forester Charlie Batin of the CAFSD to deliver lecture on ecology and environment to the Vietnamese students who are enrolled in BS in Environment Managemen (BSEM). This curriculum is an outcome-based and it follows the curriculum of Manchester University (MU) of the United Kingdom where the TUAF has a bind agreement with the MU for an outcome-based education. (By Reynaldo E. Andres)