Vietnam and Queensland deepen education ties to power innovation

Shannon Leahy, senior trade and investment commissioner for Southeast Asia at TIQ

The event gathered leading Queensland institutions alongside Vietnamese partners to explore collaboration in priority sectors such as agricultural technology, healthcare and tourism.

Participants emphasised the importance of strengthening international cooperation in education and workforce development. Queensland, recognised as a global education hub, reported education export revenues of approximately $6.89 billion in 2024, underscoring its capacity to deliver high-quality training aligned with industry needs.

At the same time, the Australian state holds a leading position in tropical and subtropical agriculture, offering relevant expertise for Vietnam, where agriculture remains a key pillar of the economy and a major contributor to global food exports. This alignment creates opportunities for knowledge exchange and joint development, particularly in sustainable and high-productivity farming systems.

Speaking at the event, NIC deputy director Do Tien Thinh highlighted that deeper engagement with international partners, especially Queensland’s education and research institutions, would help improve training quality, foster innovation and support Vietnam’s comprehensive digital transformation.

“As Vietnam’s national innovation hub, NIC aims to connect talent, promote collaboration among government, academia and industry, and translate ideas into practical outcomes,” Thinh said. “Australia remains a trusted and strategic partner. Queensland, in particular, offers strong research capabilities and industry-linked education across fields such as medicine, agriculture, biomedical science, robotics and environmental science.”

Shannon Leahy, senior trade and investment commissioner for Southeast Asia at TIQ, stressed that the education and research ecosystem is designed to integrate academic training with real-world business demands. Leahy expressed interest in expanding partnerships in Vietnam while providing broader opportunities for Vietnamese students and professionals in study, research and career development.

Vietnam has already become an increasingly important partner for Queensland. The country is now the third-largest source of international students from Southeast Asia to the state, with more than 3,400 enrolments last year, over 20 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels. More than 36 active university partnerships are currently in place between the two sides, with recent MoUs signed between the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training.

Phuong Hoang from TIQ pointed to agriculture, tourism and health technology as priority sectors where education-industry partnerships can deliver immediate, practical gains for Vietnam.

"Vietnam’s agricultural workforce, estimated at around 13 million people, faces a significant skills gap, with only a small proportion formally trained,” she said. “If we want to move up the value chain, we must invest in skills. The goal is not cheaper products, but higher-quality, competitive exports. Training is also critical in post-harvest stages, including packaging and traceability.”

A practical example cited was the Mekong Sustainable Rice project, a $6.8 million initiative funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and SunRice, led by the University of Queensland in partnership with Vietnamese institutions. The project has helped quadruple yields and increase farmers’ income by around 25 per cent per kilogramme of rice, illustrating how research and education can directly support agricultural transformation.

In tourism, Vietnam’s rapid growth presents both opportunity and pressure, Hoang added. “Despite strong demand, the sector currently meets only about half of its workforce needs, while just 10 per cent of workers have formal training. Without improvements in skills, language proficiency and service quality, Vietnam risks losing competitiveness to regional peers such as Thailand and Malaysia,” she said.

Hoang highlighted growing connectivity between Vietnam and Queensland, including rising visitor flows and direct air links between Ho Chi Minh City and Brisbane. With Queensland preparing to host the 2032 Olympic Games, demand for skilled labour in tourism, hospitality and related services is expected to surge, opening further avenues for collaboration in training and student mobility.

In healthcare and health technology, Queensland’s strengths in biomedical research and hospital systems were seen as highly relevant to Vietnam, where the healthcare system faces mounting pressure. With relatively low ratios of doctors and nurses per capita, expanding access and improving service quality will require both workforce development and digital solutions.

Technologies such as telehealth, digital consultation platforms and pharmaceutical innovation can help extend care to underserved areas and manage growing patient demand. However, Hoang stressed that the real challenge lies in building a workforce capable of deploying and scaling these technologies effectively.

“Technology on its own does not create value,” Phuong concluded. “It is the people, trained, skilled and connected to industry, who turn innovation into real impact.”

During the programme, delegates took part in thematic presentations and discussions on Queensland’s education system and Vietnam’s human capital development strategy. A key panel session on cross-border collaboration examined how education and innovation can generate tangible impacts for industry, offering a platform for stakeholders to share experiences and propose practical cooperation models.

Business matching activities were also held, enabling universities, research organisations and companies from both sides to identify concrete opportunities in training, research and workforce development.

Following the Hanoi event, the programme will continue in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16, aiming to broaden connections and deepen engagement between stakeholders.

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