THE Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is expanding its global alumni network this week with the opening of two new alumni associations in Vietnam.

The Hanoi chapter was officially launched during a dinner ceremony here at the Sofitel Plaza hotel, and this will be followed by another chapter to be launched in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday. These bring the total number of overseas NTU alumni bodies to 21, reaching out to the varsity's 134,000 alumni, said university president Su Guaning.

Many Vietnamese, including a number of high-ranking government officials, have studied at NTU at one point or another over the years, ranging from the undergraduate level to PhDs and executive education. Vietnam ranks among the top five countries represented by the university's 4,000-strong foreign student population.

Among the prominent alumni are the Hanoi association's new president Trinh Minh Thu, who is the current vice-rector of Vietnam's Water Resources University. Dr Thu graduated from NTU with a doctoral degree in engineering (civil and environmental) four years ago. Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Hong Truong also studied at NTU. So did the son of current Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, who completed his MBA at NTU's Nanyang Business School.

'More than 500 NTU alumni reside in Vietnam. Singapore and Vietnam enjoy close bilateral relations,' said Dr Su in his speech to some 100 guests yesterday. 'Since 1992, more than 10,000 Vietnamese have received bilateral training in Singapore under the Singapore Cooperation Programme in areas like the environment, healthcare, finance and trade, productivity, public administration and English language training.'

Tomorrow, in conjunction with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's four-day official visit to Vietnam, NTU will sign an agreement between its Nanyang Environment and Water Resources Institute and the new Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Hai Phong city.

'This is testimony to the high regard that world leading industries have for NTU's capabilities in environmental and water technologies,' said Dr Su.

 

(Source: businesstimes.com.sg)